A personal story that captures the heart and soul of modern Iceland. The country’s postwar transformation from an obscure, dirt-poor nation to a prosperous one became every Icelander’s success. Spurred by this favorable wind, Sverrir answered the call of his Viking forefathers, setting off on a voyage that took him around the world. Join him on his roaring adventures!

Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir

Price: $14.00

“This is Sverrir Sigurdsson's story, an extraordinary tale of what it means to be Icelandic, how tenacity of spirit enabled a small country to navigate its way through hardship and war to contribute on the larger stage of human endeavors. Beautifully written with a fast-paced narrative style, Viking Voyager is essential reading for any adventure-seeking tourist in the 21st century.” — Paula S. Harrell, historian, adjunct professor, Georgetown University

“This is the story of a latter-day Viking, an adventurous spirit who left his native Iceland at an early age to study abroad. Having graduated as an architect from a Finnish university, he went on a mission around the globe with the UN and the World Bank, doing his bit to help make the world a better place.” — Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs (1988-95) and ambassador to the United States (1998-2002) .

“Who among us wouldn’t want descendants to learn from our life? Of the hundreds of autobiographies available, perhaps one is worth reading. This is it…a story which gladdens the heart and makes one wish for more. ” — Stephen Heyneman, Professor (emeritus), International Education Policy, Vanderbilt University

“This memoir is one heck of a good read! Viking Voyager offers a fascinating glimpse into Sverrir Sigurdsson’s often tough upbringing in Iceland, which was relatively underdeveloped until set on a more prosperous path by Allied bases during World War II. Admitted to the best high school in Reykjavík, a rigorous multilingual curriculum set him in good stead for a career with international organizations.” — D. A. Spruzen, author of The Blitz Business

Viking Voyager: An Icelandic Memoir is a captivating account of the author’s journey from Iceland to various places in Asia and Africa and finally landing a career in the World Bank in Washington, DC. Besides giving an entertaining account of life growing up in Iceland, at the time a poor and struggling country, Sverrir manages to get the reader to understand the complex issues surrounding development. ” — Inder Sud, President, World Bank Group Alumni

A novel about caregiving for elderly parents in a Chinese American family

Book Launch Video

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Confucius Says

Price: $12.00

“In this era of unprecedented longevity, this story of caregiving for elderly parents is most timely. While love for parents is a natural instinct, the Chinese codify it with a set of written guidelines. Through a humorous and entertaining story, the author uncovers the universal truths in Confucius’ teachings and applies them to a modern-day family.” —Yong Ho, co-chair, Renwen Society of China Institute

“A wonderfully engaging book about a tough topic. With good humor and warmth, she takes us on an emotional epic journey of one family’s experience with caregiving, with insightful wisdom about how cultural values color our relationships. A must-read for anyone with elderly parents, but especially for all Asian Americans.” —Gil Asakawa, Asian American Journalists Association AARP Fellow .

“:I laughed my way in and cried my way out of this book. By turns hilarious and searing, mystery novel and textbook on aging, at its core this is a love story. As one of many who have taken on the task of caring for parents till the end, I’m deeply moved by this book.” —Vilma Seeberg, Director, China Studies and Education Project, Kent State University

Confucius Says is a poignant portrayal of a Chinese family’s adherence to filial piety and the impact of this tradition on everyone in the family (including the dog). The author captures eloquently the emotional roller coaster of parental caregiving—a ride that whizzes through the terrors of aging and dying interspersed with the exhilaration of love, life and liberation. Humor is sprinkled throughout the book, facilitating the reader’s acceptance of the full range of emotions associated with this undertaking. ” —Ginny Gong, host of the TV talk show Ginny…Where East Meets West; former National President of OCA

A memoir of a woman’s odyssey through 50 years of turbulence in Asia, that takes us from Hong Kong to Chungking to Nanking to Bangkok, and finally across the four seas to the U.S.

Journey Across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman’s Search for Home

Price: $12.00

“This book is an amazing read. When I finished it, I felt as if I understood Hong Kong, China, the heroine Flora, and myself better. It’s the Asian Grapes of Wrath.”—Adair Lara, award-winning columnist, The San Francisco Chronicle

“This story brings out a centerpiece of Chinese culture—education of the young. To attain that end, a Chinese woman would sacrifice anything, overcome any adversity. Like the mother of Mencius, she is willing to uproot herself in search of the best education for her children.”—Mi Chu Wiens, Head of Scholarly Services, Asian Division, Library of Congress.

“A gutsy Chinese woman remembers with unsparing wit and candor growing up poor in British-ruled Hong Kong,surviving the perils and privations of Japanese-occupied China....This is history as biography that can bring nostalgia attacks to old Asia hands. It’s also an odyssey through life in the Chinese diaspora peopled with funny and outrageous real-life personalities Amy Tan couldn’t have imagined.”—Eduardo Lachica, former Washington bureau chief of The Asian Wall Street Journal.

A page-turning thriller that tells the story of Somalia: the Somali nomadic lifestyle, colonial occupation and subsequent independence, and the rise of its dictator, Siad Barre, whose tactic of divide and conquer pushes already fractious clans into headlong collision.

Nightfall in Mogadishu

Price: $12.00

“ Veronica Li, last seen in the (World) Bank's East Africa Department before her retirement, has turned her writing skills to fiction. She has made good use of her Bank experience in general and of her work in Somalia in particular to write a tale of action and adventure, Nightfall in Mogadishu.

“ Her story is set in the year 1990, just at the time that Somalia began its disintegration into anarchy and chaos. It is an ideal backdrop for an adventure tale with non-stop action. There is plenty of murder and mayhem not to mention evil, corruption and a little sex thrown in for good measure.

“ Veronica's knowledge of Somalia shows in the vivid and memorable images she draws of this hot and arid land and its long-suffering people. Those who have worked in Somalia will immediately recognize scenes and landmarks and those who have never been there will feel as if they had.” — A review by Anne Vaughn for The 1818 Society Newsletter

Copyright © 2006 Veronica Li. All rights reserved.