Thursday, June 21, 2012

Cherry Blossoms Are Falling

This story was originally published here in 2012, now updated with new artwork in 2026


 
Synopsis
Madison Moua, an American-born Hmong woman, is ruthless, strong-willed, and fiercely opinionated. She does things her way—and only her way. Though she can be kind and respectful to those who treat her with the same courtesy, she has little tolerance for deceitful people.

More than anything, Madison despises the way some older Hmong men, including her own paternal uncle, have disrupted their nuclear families by traveling to Laos to marry high-school-aged Hmong girls. She is equally furious with the girls who knowingly lead these men on for the purpose of extracting money from them. But what Madison finds most unacceptable is that young Hmong men in Laos are now becoming involved in the same practice.

To Madison, it is hypocritical, destructive, and completely unforgivable.

So what happens when she suddenly discovers that she is expected to marry Looj Xyooj, a Hmong man from Laos?

Will Madison be forced to confront the very beliefs she has condemned in others? Will she set aside her principles and accept the marriage—or will she fight against it with every ounce of her strength?