Wayson Choy is a Canadian author who lives and teaches in Toronto.  His work has been recognized nationally, winning the prestigious City of Vancouver Book Award and being nominated for a Governor General’s Award.

The story you are about to read is actually an excerpt from Choy’s memoir, Paper Shadows:  A Chinatown Childhood.

This is a story of a boy and his childhood friend, Garson.  Garson was a cute kid who was adored by everyone who came in contact with him, but the little boy who was his friend was not . . . not cute and not adored.  No matter how hard he tried, he never seemed to get the attention that Garson did.   This is also a story about the terrible things people do and say to others—particularly when they are feeling small—to make themselves feel big.