Family Ghosts

41: Motherland - Part 2

“Saving face would not rescue my mother.”
Read more of Jiayang’s writing for The New Yorker here: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jiayang-fan.
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Every house is haunted. In each episode of Family Ghosts, we investigate the true story behind a mysterious figure whose legend has followed a family for generations. Grandmothers who were secretly jewel smugglers, uncles who led double lives, siblings who vanished without a trace, and other ghostly characters who cast shadows over our lives in ways that might not be immediately obvious. We are all formed in part by our familial collections of secrets, intrigues, and myths. By engaging with each others’ legends, perhaps we can see each others’ realities more clearly. Hosted by Moth Grand Slam winner Sam Dingman, whose stories have been featured on NPR, Risk!, TBTL,  and The Moth Radio Hour.