Ting Yen May was born in Taiwan during the Japanese Occupation. At age eleven, she was sent to Tokyo for schooling. She overcame her language deficiencies and successfully completed Japanese high school and became the first Taiwanese to graduate from Ochanomizu University. She learned Mandarin Chinese after the end of WWII and the end of the Japanese Occupation. In her late fifties, she taught Japanese at Tatung College of Technology, and wrote several Japanese language textbooks. She began writing Japanese poetry ("tanka") in her sixties after reconnecting with her high school mentor/teacher who guided and encouraged her in publishing two books of "tanka." Ting Yen May's creative ability and perseverance in overcoming any obstacles led to her success in life. This book contains her auto-biography, a selection of previously unpublished "tanka," commentary from mentors and friends on her books of "tanka" as well as recollections and condolences of her husband's life.