For My Hands Only, based on true events, is a coming-of-age story about an adopted boy who grows up poor, exploited, and deprived in a poverty-stricken Chinese village in Malaya. Gradually realizing he was adopted only for the labor of his hands, he was driven to break away from the strictures of village life, grinding poverty, and suffocating Chinese culture and traditions, seeking a better life elsewhere.

“With a unique voice, the author offers a fascinating look into his early life as an adopted child in mid-twentieth-century Malaysia. ...This compelling memoir offers an intriguing look into a culture that often is shrouded in mystery.”

“For My Hands Only provides fresh insights into the rich experiences of growing up in Malaysia. The diverse culture in the land has emerged trough multiple voices that the author struggled with in this coming-of-age memoir. He orchestrates all these voices to depict the complex life of growing up in a truly multicultural world.”

“This is a lively book with a funny, thoroughly enlightened author doing his best to tell his story and the story of one Chinese village in Malaya with tremendous insight, detail, and compassion. The wok is waiting, with a thorough mix of oils and flavorings. Dig in!”