As a child, one of the few things I learned in Chinese was how to count to ten. However, even though I could rattle off the numbers, I did not see the magic in them. It was only as an adult that I learned that even humble numbers have a rich history in Chinese culture. Many of them are homophones, suggesting other words when spoken aloud, and the most popular of them are the numbers six, eight, and nine. The number six (liù) sounds like the word for “smooth” or “peaceful”; eight (b¯a) recalls the word for “fortune” and nine (jiu˘) sounds like the word for “forever.” These are the auspicious numbers—hidden in Chinese paintings, used in emperors’ robes, and picked for special dates and license plates. I have an especially vivid memory of my dinner companions in Hong Kong broadly grinning when the bill arrived with numerous sixes and nines. “We are so lucky!” one announced proudly.

After my first husband, Robert, died of cancer, I thought a great deal about life and what I wished from it. Strangely, it was these numbers that began to guide me. For, what were these numbers but symbols of what we want and wish for each other? Peace (six), good fortune (eight), and longevity (nine) are what the ancient Chinese decided make a truly lucky life.

But how does one get these… these elusive desires? With a hubris given to authors, I decided upon my personal answers and put them in my books. In Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Minli discovers the secret to good fortune—representing the number eight. Rendi finds the secret to peace in Starry River of the Sky, symbolized by the number six. And this book signifies the number nine, allowing Pinmei to learn that stories are the secret to immortality.

Why stories? Recently, a dear friend of mine’s husband also died. At his memorial, all found solace in sharing stories about him. Many were stories I had never heard before, and I found myself wondering how many more there were that I didn’t know. How many of Robert’s stories had I not known? How many were now gone?

Because stories are how we share our lives and what we truly mourn when they are lost. Stories are what connect us to our past and carry us to our future. They are what we cherish and what we remember. They are why I write my books and why I offer them as my humble gift to you.

I hope you find them as much of a treasure as I did.