Acton Memorial Library is thrilled to welcome author Wendy Chen, who will be at the library to discuss her new novel "Their Divine Fires." 

A captivating and intimate debut novel that celebrates Chinese and Chinese American culture and heritage and the ways they shape our identities and lives no matter who we are or where we journey in life. Interwoven with folktale and myth, Wendy Chen’s Their Divine Fires tells the story of the love affairs of three generations of Chinese women across one hundred years of revolutions both political and personal. 

Connection to Acton:

Wendy graduated from ABRHS in 2010 and her mother June still lives in town. June's late husband Harry Chen (founder of the Acton Chinese Language School) used to volunteer for the Acton Memorial Library Foundation.  

More about the author:

Wendy Chen is the author of the award-winning poetry collection Unearthings. Her short stories, creative nonfiction, translations, and reviews have appeared widely including Freeman’s, A Public Space, North American Review, and American Poets. Her work has been translated into multiple languages and has been adapted into musical compositions. Chen is also the prose editor of Tupelo Press, editor of Figure 1 and associate editor-in-chief of Tupelo Quarterly. She is the recipient of the Academy of American Poets Most Promising Young Poet Prize. Her translations of Song dynasty woman writer Li Qingzhao are forthcoming from FSG in 2025. Chen earned her MFA in creative writing from Syracuse University and her PhD in English from the University of Denver. She is an assistant professor of creative writing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.Wendy's late father Harry Chen (founder of the Acton Chinese Language School) used to volunteer for the Acton Memorial Library Foundation.  

Thank you to Silver Unicorn Bookstore for partnering with us for this author visit. Attendees will have an opportunity to purchase copies of Wendy's book, and have them signed by the author!