Sometimes, life reminds us how precious our stories are – not just for ourselves but for those we love. For Hương Mai Brignon – Mai – the motivation to write her memoir came from a profound loss that left her reflecting on the stories she had yet to share. What followed was a heartfelt journey of reflection and connection. Mai was able to capture her memories – even the difficult ones – and give her family a lasting gift made possible with the support of LifeBook Memoirs.
Writing my memoir was not something I had ever planned to do, until a deep personal loss made me realise how much I was leaving unsaid.
My only brother had passed away just a month after his lung cancer diagnosis. We were all shocked because he was seven years younger than me. I had not expected my little brother to suddenly leave this world before me, and I regretted that there were so many things about our family he did not know or understand. I found myself wishing that I had written about them in a memoir for him to read while he was still here with me.
Shortly after he passed, my family were sitting on the patio of his house. I was moaning softly about not having written and shared my memoirs with my brother. My nephew, John, then murmured, “You could write the book now. We will read it!” My daughter, Lan, added, “Yes, we want to read it!” Lan started researching the best company to help me write my memoir and decided that LifeBook Memoirs was the perfect choice.
I knew that it would be difficult for an English speaker to work with me because I needed my book to include Vietnamese phrases. Vietnamese words have lots of accents, and these need to be written correctly or their meaning will change completely. For this reason, I realised I needed to write the book myself, without assistance from an interviewer or ghostwriter. My project manager, Isabella, understood this, so she arranged for me to write the text and have an editor correct and optimise my draft. Isabella introduced me to my editor, Steve, who was brave enough to accept working with me. It was difficult for me, as a Vietnamese American, to write a book in English. At first, I felt sad that nobody seemed to understand me, but when I asked Steve if he did, he said “yes” without hesitation. That one decisive word gave me hope. In the end, we completed my memoir together, without a single incorrect Vietnamese accent.
Lan was pleased to learn more about my life – particularly the years when, as a young girl, she hadn’t understood much of what was occurring around her. She is so glad that I wrote my memoir. My two sons are also glad to know more about the life I have led and to learn about Vietnamese traditions they weren’t aware of. My second son even said that when he read the chapter about me taking my family out of Vietnam, he felt as if part of a film was rolling in front of his eyes. Finally, my brother’s three children have told me how glad they were to learn about our family’s history since their father is no longer here to share it with them.
My friends’ reactions have also been positive. Some have commented on the nice arrangement of chapters and pictures; others like the old black-and-white photos – they came out real good. They’ve praised my book as “incredibly beautiful” and “as professional as the ones in the bookstores.” One of my good friends wrote, “I must tell you that I love your book. Wow!” Others have said that it is inspiring, amazing and engaging and that they did not want to put the book down.
In conclusion, I am very grateful to the staff of LifeBook Memoirs, and I wish everyone there continued success in helping others fulfil their wishes to share their memories and stories with their loved ones.
Mai’s LifeBook, Pieces of Mai’s Life, was completed in 2022.
