Published in 1999, Homeward Bound is a personal essay by Janet Wu that primarily focuses on her relationship with her grandmother. Wu argues she and her grandmother could not have come from more different times as her grandmother is one of the last Chinese still carrying the burden of bound feet; a practice that has been illegal for over eight decades. Even more striking is the fact that Wu was unaware of her grandmother’s existence for most of her childhood.
Wu’s father left China in the wake of Japanese invasion and the Communist Revolution that followed. He eventually settled in America and took on an American-born wife. While he continued to write letters home, he never heard back from China. Finally, a response informed him that his father and six of his seven siblings had passed away. The only good news was that his mother was still alive, thus, Wu’s father took his family to China around the time of Nixon’s visit to the country.
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By the time, 12 years-old Wu met her grandmother, her grandmother was already 80 years old, with a very small figure. Despite communication difficulties, Wu soon formed a close bond with her grandmother. Wu’s next meeting with her grandmother took after 11 years when she visited China as a tourist after completing graduate school. This time Wu’s boyfriend accompanied her. The meeting in the hotel was again accompanied by few words but lot of emotions.
The third meeting happened when Wu’s grandmother was 95 years old and her figure had shrunk even further. This was quite an emotional meeting for Wu because she had mentally prepared herself for the likely possibility that this would be her last meeting with her grandmother. As a result, Wu treasured every second spent with her grandmother and when they eventually parted at the airport, Wu’s grandmother was overwhelmed by emotions. After returning to the U.S., Wu had now prepared herself for the likely news of her grandmother’s demise but ironically, Wu’s grandmother outlasted Wu’s father who died after two months. While it was a huge loss for Wu, it was even greater for Wu’s grandmother who had now lost her son twice in her life.
Wu marvels at the fact that her friends hate meeting their nearby relatives whereas Wu feels she has not spent enough time with her grandmother, even by modern standards. Wu is disappointed at the fact that distance is a hurdle in the way of her relationship with grandmother and even more so due to the fact that communication through phone or letter is not an option.
As Wu’s grandmother’s 100th birthday approached, Wu’s mother instructed Wu to brush up her Chinese language skills. Wu’s mother didn’t want to forego the only link they had left to Wu’s father. Wu would work on her Chinese language skills every night, often thinking of her grandmother to motivate herself. But in return, all Wu wanted from her grandmother was to hold on until Wu gets to be with her.
