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Reader Review Wrap Up and Giveaway for Linda Petrucelli's Mother Tongue

Monday, June 15, 2026

Welcome to the Reader Review Event for Mother Tongue, a memoir that allows us to travel to another country, another time and another culture. Linda Petrucelli's musings on her time as a missionary in Taiwan in the 1980s includes both the joys and the challenges. Learn what our readers had to say and let this book be your first "summer getaway."

Reading Rev. Linda Petrucelli’s Mother Tongue was a deeply personal experience for me. My father, Hsiao Ching-fen, met Linda through his role as Tainan Seminary president early during her journey in 1980s Taiwan, and he even had the honor of giving her the name she would use throughout her mission, Bai Lian-da (“Virtuous Lotus”).

The name was prescient. Linda dedicated herself to mastering the Taiwanese language at a time when learning and speaking it was an act of political defiance, participating in our island’s “quiet revolution” for democratic freedom. Her heartwarming story of embracing our mother tongue and culture is told with humor and grace, and it beautifully captures the resilience of the Taiwanese people and the courageous, grassroots movement that paved our way forward.

Mother Tongue is an engaging testament to the power of cross-cultural empathy and a must-read for all who cherish the hard-won freedoms we enjoy today.

— Bi-khim Hsiao, vice president of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

About the Book:

Standing by the window, I tried to understand what happened to me to take such an unfathomable leap… What I hadn’t realized was that first, my one and only assignment would be to learn the language.”

In 1984, when Linda Petrucelli arrives in Taiwan with her husband Gary Hoff, she assumes she will learn Mandarin Chinese. Instead, her local church partner, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, assigns her to learn Taiwanese, an eight-toned ancient tongue that few Westerners ever attempt. What began as a daunting assignment turns into a transformative journey of faith, identity, and resilience. Set during the world’s longest period of martial law, Mother Tongue offers candid insight into Taiwan’s nonviolent struggle toward democracy, the political power of language, and the universal search for belonging. In her odyssey to communicate in the island’s mother tongue, Linda learns the political implications of language, insight into her own ethnic identity, and the value of finding humor in her mistakes.

Publisher: Koehler Books

ISBN-13: 979-8897471195

ASIN: B0GNCKK6QV

Print length: 178 pages

Genre: Memoir

Mother Tongue: A Memoir of Taiwan is available in print and as an ebook at Amazon, BooksaMillion and Barnes & Noble. Add it to your Goodreads list.

About the Author, Linda Petrucelli:

Linda Petrucelli's creative nonfiction essays have earned Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, and her fiction accolades include first place in the Women on Writing Fall 2018 Flash Fiction Contest. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Linda holds degrees from Yale Divinity School and Chicago Theological Seminary. For ten years, she served as a missionary in Taiwan, becoming fluent in the Taiwanese language. Her wide-ranging ministerial service includes work as a humanitarian relief executive in New York City and pastorates in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and on the Big Island of Hawaii. She now resides in Hawi, Hawaii, with her artist husband, Gary Hoff, and writes on the lanai of their tin-roofed rancher overlooking the ʼAlenuihāhā Channel.

Connect with the author

Website: http://lindapetrucelli.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaSPetrucelli/

IG: @linda.petrucelli

Here's what WOW! readers had to say about Mother Tongue by Linda Petrucelli:

Linda says:

Linda Petrucelli in her book, Mother Tongue: A Memoir of Taiwan, is a wonderful journey of faith, trust, kinship and awakening. From Iowa to Taiwan, we journey with her as she learns a language and traditions that are polar opposites to hers. The last line of the book says it all!

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves travel, enjoys learning about new cultures and has deep spirituality. As a teacher of English as a second language, I could see myself communicating with my students. Thank you, Linda, for this amazing sojourn.

5 stars (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8605998484)

Karen says:

What a fascinating and satisfying story! The author and her artist husband were both in their 30s when they began their first of two tours in Taiwan. She perfectly conveys their sense of being fish out of water from the moment they land in Asia, immersed in a culture so different from their own. Many of their experiences are humorous; however, you can clearly feel their loneliness, confusion, frustration, and a sense of being completely off-balance in their early days. The author’s moments of success, even the smallest incidents, became causes for elation. The author perseveres, though, and finds her purpose, working to help and improve the lives of some of the neediest people. At the same time, she learns more about herself, her faith, and how she wants to live her best life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the settings and the people Linda met throughout her time in Taiwan. I loved the connections she made with residents, especially the random encounters that made such a big impression on her and helped her at just the right moments in her journey.

5 stars (https://www.amazon.com/review/R3V8V071JJLYUP/)

Amy says:

A spare, assured, quietly radiant debut...Humour keeps the missionary frame honest, from a tongue-twisting greeting offered to a wine-soaked Santa to the night she wins Best Actress in a televised folktale told entirely in Taiwanese, a tiger costume hiding a parable of resistance. The book deepens among fisher families and Indigenous communities, where her bookish faith becomes lived experience.

5 stars (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mother-tongue-linda-petrucelli/1149470836)

Angela says:

Linda's writing style is warm and inviting; it felt like she was having a conversation with a friend as she related her anecdotes. Each chapter relayed a significant moment in her journey, even though they may seem small - from having to communicate with a doctor in Taiwanese while ill to giving a short sermon in the new language. Although this is a short memoir, Linda still manages to pack a lot in, giving the reader her insights into language, culture, gender roles, and politics.

5 stars (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8653514784)

Nicole says:

I've never had the honor of traveling outside of the U.S. And I'm always drawn to travel memoirs. This was a great one! I loved reading about her experiences in Taiwan. Reading about her learning process, understanding the language and the culture, and her experiences being in the area felt so vivid to me. It felt like I was right there with her. I also appreciated reading about her work in ministry. Definitely an interesting memoir I enjoyed reading!

5 stars (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mother-tongue-linda-petrucelli/1149470836)

Jodi says:

We all dream of one time or another of having a grand adventure. Of course, safely in our dream world, everything goes perfectly according to plan during our grand adventure. Linda Petrucelli's memoir Mother Tongue is the tale of a grand adventure...but. We hired you to do this job...but instead do this job. You expected to learn this language...but instead try this language. Practice your conversational skills...but no one wants to talk this language.

This honest memoir shows us the reality behind the grand adventure pastor Linda Petrucelli took with her artist husband Gary Hoff. In addition to the excitement, the new friends, the surprises it also shows us the frustration, the fear, the jealousy, the confusion. Petrucelli paints a detailed picture of Taiwan with small details and snippets of life as she comes to terms with the real purpose of her time as a missionary.

If you wonder what it's like to be thrown into the deep end of the cultural pool, Mother Tongue is the memoir for you.

5 stars (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8587852049)

*****BOOK GIVEAWAY*****

Enter to win a print copy of Mother Tongue by Linda Petrucelli and a $25 Amazon gift card. Fill out the form below for a chance to win! The giveaway ends on Sunday, June 28 at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day and follow up via email. Good luck!

19 comments book giveaway, Linda Petrucelli, memoir, Mother Tongue, Reader Review Event, travel

Mother Tongue - Interview with Linda Petrucelli (and Join our Reader Review Event)

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Travel across the world today with author Linda Petrucelli and her memoir Mother Tongue: A Memoir of Taiwan. Enjoy today's author interview and a sneak peek at a memoir of her time as a clergyperson in Taiwan in the 1980s.

For more information about reviewing this book contact jodiwebb9@gmail.com or sign up at

https://forms.gle/LhLatdbbS8i6cuBT9

About the Book

Publisher: Koehler Books

ISBN-13: 979-8897471195

ASIN: B0GNCKK6QV

Print length: 178 pages

Genre: Memoir

We're also inviting readers to participate in our Reader Review event. You can sign up by emailing: jodiwebb9@gmail.com and she will get you a copy of the book! You don't need to be a blogger to join in on this event; anyone who can leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon can participate and receive an ebook copy of Mother Tongue. By leaving a review, you'll also be entered in a drawing to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Mother Tongue: A Memoir of Taiwan is available in print and as an ebook at Amazon, BooksaMillion and Barnes & Noble. Add it to your Goodreads list.

About the Author

Linda Petrucelli’s creative nonfiction essays have earned Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations, and her fiction accolades include first place in the Women on Writing Fall 2018 Flash Fiction Contest. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Linda holds degrees from Yale Divinity School and Chicago Theological Seminary. For ten years, she served as a missionary in
Taiwan, becoming fluent in the Taiwanese language. Her wide-ranging ministerial service includes work as a humanitarian relief executive in New York City and pastorates in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and on the Big Island of Hawaii. She now resides in Hawi, Hawaii, with her artist husband, Gary Hoff, and writes on the lanai of their tin-roofed rancher overlooking the
ʼAlenuihāhā Channel.

Connect with the author

Website: http://lindapetrucelli.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaSPetrucelli/

IG: @linda.petrucelli

--Interview by Jodi M. Webb

WOW: Tell us a little about how you began writing.

Linda: I’ve kept a journal much of my life as a way to sort through my feelings, but writing played a significant role in my professional life, too. I've been an ordained minister and for much of my career each week I wrote a flash CNF essay, aka “a sermon,” and delivered it live before a congregation. From time to time during my ministerial years, I published nonfiction articles that leaned toward journalism, including one about capital punishment in Taiwan that appeared in The Christian Century.

After I retired, I finally had the time to dedicate myself to the craft of writing and to enjoy a consistent practice. I started by taking online classes, many of them WOW! offerings, joined our local writer’s guild, and began reading lit mags and memoirs. My first efforts were short form prose—flash fiction and personal essays.

WOW: So how did you go from flash fiction to a memoir focused on your time in Taiwan?

Linda: Current events got me thinking. How, in my opinion, Taiwan and the US had reversed roles over the last several decades. I am concerned about what I see as authoritarian tendencies infiltrating our national life. Book banning; disruption in transferring power; curbs to freedom of expression. These were the tactics of Taiwan’s one-party dictatorship in the 80s when I lived there. How ironic, I thought, that Taiwan has made incredible strides toward democracy in the shadow of China, slowly overcoming its authoritarian history, while my own country has moved in the opposite direction. I wanted to tell my story against the backdrop of Taiwan’s resistance and resilience as a hopeful reminder that courageous individuals can change oppressive systems.

WOW: It's amazing to see our current world through the lens of your experiences decades ago. How did you write Mother Tongue? Did you have journals or other written works

to draw from or was it all from your memory?

Linda: I had made several attempts at writing a memoir but I never finished any of them. Finally admitting that I was a “Plotter” not a “Pantser,” I drafted a three-act structure using a list of detailed scenes. The outline periodically shifted and rearranged itself but it helped me when I felt lost or overwhelmed trying to get the story down. I committed to 500 words a day for four months. The first draft was pretty awful but not beyond saving and I went on to edit the manuscript over a period of nearly two years. I actually wrote the last chapter first, in hopes that the preceding chapters would move toward and culminate in that final scene.

For background material, since it happened so long ago, I utilized journals and letters I had written to my father. I also was lucky to have my husband Gary who was with me in Taiwan as a sounding board. His recollections were indispensable, as well as the extensive photo collection we had assembled. Towards the end of the second draft, I contacted some of my Taiwanese colleagues with a few questions. I even got some information I didn’t expect… After I messaged Lim Bi-iong, one of the Taiwanese women who appear in my book, she sent me declassified government surveillance records on my activity at the Fishermen’s Service Center where I had worked!

WOW: You write about the difficulty of learning to speak Taiwanese. Was it difficult to capture the sound of the Taiwanese language in your writing?

Linda: That is a super insightful question, Jodi!

Of course, I used the romanization system I had learned to show the language I was speaking, but to evoke the sound is another thing altogether. As a writer, I think sound is one of the more challenging senses to describe. So, I got a lot of practice writing this book!

During my research, I discovered a journal written back when I was studying Taiwanese where I wrote about “laughing in eight tones.” This memory inspired the scene where I am practicing saying “HA” using eight different intonations. Later in the scene, where I am practicing saying MA, you’ll find my favorite line in the book:

“Eighth tone: MA (high and stopped). I forced a soprano glottal stop and squeaked. It was the same tone of my surname in Taiwanese. Not the gently modulated “Bai” of Mandarin, but mousespeak. Peh!”

WOW: I often find that the memoirs I read change my outlook on life. What do you hope readers will take away from Mother Tongue?

Linda: Life and learning are better with laughter!

WOW: Isn't everything! What’s up next for your writing career?

Linda: I continue to take online classes and keep practicing, word by word. I participated in

Novnov last year and wrote a 50K-word cozy mystery in a month. This kind of writer’s marathon had been an item on my literary bucket list for a while. I’d like to see, with a few months of hindsight now, what I might do with that “vomit draft.” I’m hoping to explore chapbooks, too. Maybe compose several short-short collections around the theme of ‘belonging’ and my spiritual experiences with nature in Hawaii.

WOW: You sound super busy with so many different possibilities. Personally, I would love to read about the connections you've made during your time in Hawaii.

Join the Reader Review Event

Readers, if you'd like to receive a copy of Mother Tongue by Linda Petrucelli for review, please email jodiwebb9@gmail.com or signup at https://forms.gle/LhLatdbbS8i6cuBT9 . Book reviews need to be posted by on Goodreads (required) and one other bookseller online site. We'll be sharing all the reviews in a Reader Review Event and Giveaway post here on The Muffin on June 15! In addition to receiving the book, you'll also be entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!