An unforgettable historical memoir of survival, identity, and the American dream.
In 1920s Detroit, King Ying grows up behind her family’s laundry, caught between her father’s old-world traditions and the promise of Jazz Age America. When the Great Depression brings devastating debt, she is sent to her ancestral village in Guangdong, China.
There, in a land that should feel like home but doesn’t, she faces hunger, rigid customs, and the terror of Japanese invasion as war engulfs the region. To survive, she must find a strength deeper than fear.
Spanning continents and decades, The Strength of Water is a powerful immigrant memoir and coming-of-age story about resilience, belonging, and forging an identity between two worlds.
About the Author
Karin K. Jensen is a local news writer for the Alameda Post and the debut author of The Strength of Water: An Asian American Coming of Age Memoir, which made the Kirkus Reviews annual list of best indie books published and won awards from The BookFest, International Book Awards, and the San Francisco Book Festival. She has won NewsBreak editorial awards, including on the topics of #StopAsianHate and #AAPI Voices. For her work, Authority Magazine named her a social impact author. She makes her home in California.
Praise for The Strength of Water
"A Chinese American woman looks back on poverty, war, and family betrayal in this heartfelt memoir... A classic, vividly written immigrant saga." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review and named to the annual list of top 100 indie books)
"The Strength of Water is a daughter's careful excavation of her mother's story... written with tremendous love and authenticity. It is an important document of the Asian American experience." —Kao Kalia Yang, award winning author of The Song Poet and The Latehomecomer
“... An amazing memoir where the ‘strength of water,’ the power of resilience and adapting to any circumstance, is the common thread that flows through the whole family, connecting everyone’s lives. Touching, inspiring, and brilliantly written.” —Shen Yang, author of More Than One Child and Golden Childhood
“... a must-read for anyone interested in the sociology of early 20th-century China or the experience of Chinese immigrants. Ms. Jensen tells her story with clarity, wit, and a deft touch for the unvarnished truth.” —Tani Hanes, author of Obachan, a Young Girl’s Struggle for Freedom in 20th Century Japan
“...a moving glimpse of Chinese American life in the last century, revealing the humanity of immigrant laborers, how they lived, and what they felt.” —Harvey Dong, Lecturer, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, UC Berkeley and Co-Founder of Eastwind Books
“The Strength of Water is truly a lesson in strength and courage.” —Lee Hsu Callaham, Retired Professor of English at Cornell University, Hong Kong University, and California State University, Fresno
“Jensen’s voice feels both intimate and universal, a reminder that coming-of-age stories don’t end when adolescence does—they evolve with us.” – Amanda Sedlak-Hevener, Mandy’s Book Nook
“...A thoughtful, engaging portrait of the courage it takes to carve out a new life—and the legacy it leaves behind.” —Julia Park Tracey, author of Silence
“I wasn’t ready for how much Helen Yee’s story would stick with me.” –BookBelow
“A story of resilience you won’t soon forget.” – Blaine DeSantis, Books and Looks for BookTrib
“Karin Jensen has wonderfully captured history and culture along with the incredible stories of her Chinese American mother...” —Linda Austin, co-author of Cherry Blossoms in Twilight
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