January 14, 2009 > Meet bestselling author Gail Tsukiyama Meet bestselling author Gail Tsukiyama Submitted By Sally Thomas Community members are invited to meet bestselling author Gail Tsukiyama, at a free event at the Hayward Main Library. Tsukiyama will be speaking about her most recently published novel "The Street of a Thousand Blossoms" (St. Martin's Press - now available in paperback), which traces the life paths of Japanese brothers Hiroshi and Kenji, who are forced to put their dreams on hold in the wake of World War II and find their destinies intertwining with those of a famous sumo master and master maker of Noh masks. The San Francisco Chronicle offered praise for Tsukiyama's The Street of a Thousand Blossoms: "It's an epic family saga spanning the full spectrum of human emotion, with a plot driven by the most epic emotion of all: love." Lisa Rosenblum, director of Hayward's Library and Neighborhood Services, welcomes the community to attend this special event: "We are very pleased to host Gail Tsukiyama at the Hayward Library. Her novels have captivated the public's attention since Women of the Silk was published in 1991." Barbara Jones, board member of both the American Association of University Women Hayward/Castro Valley branch and the Friends of the Hayward Public Library, co-sponsors of the event, remarked "We are delighted that Gail Tsukiyama will be coming to Hayward. She is a master storyteller, and a path-breaking author who has broadened public awareness of the history and cultural experiences of Asian Americans and their ancestors." Adult services librarian Sally Thomas moderates the Mostly Literary Fiction Book Discussion Group at the Hayward Main Library, which read and discussed Tsukiyama's second novel, The Samurai's Garden, in 2008. Tsukiyama's books will be on sale at the event, and the author will be available to sign copies. Multiple copies Tsukiyama's novels are available for check-out at the Hayward Public Library. Check the Library's website for details at www.library.hayward-ca.gov/. Gail Tsukiyama is the author of six novels. She was born in San Francisco, California, to a Chinese mother from Hong Kong and a Japanese father from Hawaii. She attended San Francisco State University where she received both her Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master of Arts Degree in English with the emphasis in Creative Writing. She is a recipient of the Academy of American Poets Award and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. She divides her time between El Cerrito and Napa Valley, California. Gail Tsukiyama Tuesday, February 3 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Hayward Public Library 835 C Street, Hayward (510) 881-7700