游擊文化

Teahouse Ladies: Stories From Taipei’s Red Light District
茶室女人心：萬華紅燈區的故事

Author  Lee Win-Shine 李玟萱
ISBN: 9786269716401
Date: 6/2023
Pages: 304
Length:  85,453
Rights sold: Korean (Nuhang)

• Over five thousand copies sold
• Readmoo 2023 Top 100 Bestsellers – Social Sciences Category
• Nominated for the 2023 Openbook Awards
• Nominated for the 2023 Readmoo Annual Chinese Literature Award – Non-Fiction Category
• Selected for 2024 Books From Taiwan

“Rough and scarred on the outside, they are beautiful and precious on the inside.”

Set in Wanhua, Taipei’s historic red-light district, Teahouse Ladies: Stories from Taipei’s Red-Light District delves into the lives of 12 women whose pasts are marked by hardship, temptation, and despair. Born into poverty in the 1950s and 1960s, these women—teahouse hostesses, sex workers, and survivors—carry the weight of unspeakable secrets.

Rose’s dream of becoming a singer was shattered by tragedy, while Joy’s ordinary life unraveled after a disastrous marriage. Jade, sold into prostitution by her parents, cares tirelessly for her disabled grandchildren. Fanny, once ensnared in the sex trade, now finds purpose in serving others.

In the twilight of their lives, the Pearl Family Garden Women’s Center (PFG) becomes a sanctuary for these women. Like precious pearls formed through pain and suffering, they have found salvation through the good news and healing love of Jesus Christ.

The book also shines a light on the efforts and struggles of three PFG workers from the Netherlands, Taiwan and Singapore. In the face of a challenging environment, they confront their own limitations, undergo transformation, and forge a path of hope amidst adversity.

Author Lee Win-Shine is a recipient of the Taipei International Book Exhibition non-fiction prize. With assistance from the Pearl Family Garden Women’s Center, she was able to conduct in-person interviews with these former teahouse ladies, finally giving a voice to the women who survived the poverty of Wanhua, the disdain of society, and even the prejudice of close family and friends.

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Lee Win-Shine 李玟萱

Born in Kaohsiung in 1977, Lee Win-Shine holds a master’s degree in continuing education from National Chi Nan University, and is a recipient of the Taipei International Book Exhibition prize for non fiction. Her writing spans essays, interviews, song lyrics, and film reviews.

Her first book, March 4th, the Day I Lost You, had been adapted into a TV series. Her second book, Life Stories of the Homeless in Taiwan won the Taipei International Book Exhibition Award and has sold over 10,000 copies. Her recent work, Tear Unshed, is a collaborative diary co-written with Ren,Yi-Dao, a fellow Taipei International Book Exhibition Award winner.