One Thousand Layers of Water and Clouds: The Tale of A Taiwanese Daughter

"One Thousand Layers of Water and Clouds" is a powerful memoir that serves as a heartfelt representative of Taiwanese culture through the remarkable life journey of Nancy Chen Baldwin, born as Shui Yun. At the tender age of five, she was sold as a chambermaid, and her story unfolds against the backdrop of post-war Taiwan. This narrative dives deep into the intricate tapestry of Taiwanese life, exploring the complexities of Shui Yun's existence as she faces abandonment, servitude, and the quest for self-discovery.

As the narrative unfurls, Nancy grapples with the emotional scars of her early years, the profound sense of abandonment, and her relentless pursuit of identity and belonging. Within these pages, readers will embark on an extraordinary journey through Taiwan's history, culture, and societal norms.

More than just a memoir, this book stands as an inspirational testament to the enduring human spirit and the unbreakable bonds that connect us all. It serves as a reminder that, even in the face of adversity, we are never truly alone – we are bound together by our shared experiences, and through resilience and self-discovery, we can find the strength to overcome any obstacle. This memoir is a celebration of the Taiwanese spirit and a testament to the idea that we are, and will always be, together on this remarkable journey called life.

Praises & Reviews

""One Thousand Layers of Water and Clouds” is just that, a mystic multi-layered story. In it, we follow Shui Yun (Nancy Chen Baldwin) in her quest for identity, roots, and success. Sold at age 5 for the high price of US$100, she becomes “chambermaid” to a childless Taiwanese woman who later takes her to the US with its competing life styles and visions. There, Shui Yun again must come to terms with finding love and survival amidst the Vietnam War era, Civil Rights, Affirmative Action, Reaganomics, and an increasingly prosperous US aerospace industry. Told with brutal honesty and frankness, Shui Yin’s detailed journey is her own detailed journey; yet it also mirrors what many Taiwanese, and other Asians had to face as well. With little gloss, and no major heroes; timing and preparation have their role as well as luck, attitude, and friends; it’s an intriguing quest in an intriguing time."

Jerome F. Keating PhD. - Taiwan expert, writer, and retired Professor from National Taipei University

"An inspiring book, a portrayal of human spirit that is illustrative of life experiences of many women in East Asia in her era, and perhaps today"

- Susan Demas

“In this age of remakes, click-bait, and AI-generated texts, Nancy Chen Baldwin’s “One Thousand Layers of Water and Clouds, The Tale of a Taiwanese Daughter” stands out as a unique and vivid memoir that is all-too-human. Baldwin’s story begins as a “throw away child”, a girl sold into adoption by parents in financial difficulties. And so, jarringly, she begins her new life. Her adoptive mother Grace works as a paid companion to American military men stationed in Taiwan in the 1960s. Grace is a tough cookie, but her mother – Granny Chen – a blind Buddhist full of faith and kindness, surrounds Nancy with love, and teaches her all about the fascinating deities, rituals, and superstitions of traditional Taiwanese religion. Slowly, over the years, Nancy adapts to her new circumstances, and starts to feel almost normal, when suddenly she is yanked away by Grace and her new American husband to the United States, where she once again has to start anew. Decades later, an American professional woman in full control of her life, she returns to Taiwan to find and confront her birth parents. But can we ever really get full closure with the sadness of the past? This memoir is a bittersweet and authentic immigrant tale, full of interesting characters and events.”

- John Groot, Taiwan-based writer and researcher