Nerves of Steel. A Tribute to My Mother, Shi Ming Hu.

An Extraordinary Life in Epic Times

Played out against the backdrop of the Chinese Revolution, the life of Shi Ming Hu was one of both unqualified success and soul-shattering heartbreak.

From a broad perspective, this is the true story of two lives that were broken apart by the forces that nearly engulfed our world in the mid. 20th century. Two young Chinese people, newly married and deeply in love with each other, are suddenly victimized by the bitter struggle for power in China between the Communist and Nationalist forces. Twenty-five years after their tearful separation, Shi Ming reunites with her husband, only to find that circumstances and the years apart had changed both of their lives irrevocably.

From a personal perspective, this is the true story of a woman who buried her anguish and made a lasting mark on the world of academia. Shi Ming Hu touched thousands of students in her long career, without ever letting on about her past or the sadness that she carried every day.

Shi Ming's eldest daughter, Shauley Cheng, opens the reader's eyes to a world that very few Americans (and even Chinese Americans) know anything about, while also tracing the arc of her mother's triumphs and setbacks - first in China, then in her adopted America. Separated from her daughters at first, Shi Ming tries to obtain their exit visas so that they can join her in the United States, only to find her efforts thwarted by the climate of overseas politics. Her hopes appear dashed - until she receives an unlikely assist from President John F. Kennedy.

Shauley Cheng provides great insight into this driven, competitive, supremely capable woman who gave so much to her world, and asked for nothing in return except to be with the man that she loved. For Shi Ming's many friends, colleagues, and former students, this book is a lasting, loving tribute to a remarkable teacher, academic, researcher, author, mentor and mother.