Lotus Seed

A Vietnamese narrator tells of her grandmother who, as a girl, takes a lotus seed as a remembrance of the last emperor. She keeps the seed with her through war, flight, and emigration until one summer a grandson steals it and plants it near the family’s American home. The following spring, a lotus grows from the mud puddle and in time the elderly woman gives a seed to each of her grandchildren, reserving one for herself.

• Tapestry of Grace families: Read for 1 week.