Healing the Tigress Ep. 49 - The Motherhood Revolution: Divorce, Remarriage, and More with Joanna Ho
In this episode, we had the extreme pleasure of interviewing New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Joanna Ho. Many of you may know her from her children's books like Eyes that Kiss in the Corners or even her young adult novel The Silence that Binds Us.
Joanna tells us about how her passion for equity, inclusion, and social justice led her to eventually writing the dozen plus books she has published to date in an unexpected departure from her previous jobs. She shares how after becoming a mother she did not see the Asian American representation in books that she wished her child could see, so she took it upon herself to figure out how to become an author and write the books she wanted her child to have available.
We talk about how she stayed mentally strong when going through a divorce in the middle of the pandemic when her first book was being published, all while mothering 2 children and working as a high school vice principal. We dive into the heartwarming story behind how she decided to pursue dating after divorce and eventually re-married a friend she had known since middle school (and have another baby)!
We discuss themes of silence around mental health, racism, and social justice that affect the AAPI community and why books and community are revolutionary components. Joanna tells us how she drew upon the strength of her own mother and developed a better relationship with her mom after entering motherhood herself.
This conversation is rich with discussion around healing, self-love, and community in relationship to motherhood and mental health. We are so grateful to Joanna for the honor of this interview and we hope you'll love this conversation as much as we did!
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Joanna Ho is a second generation Taiwanese/Chinese American mother of 3 who has received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature Honor, a Golden Kite Award, an Ezra Jack Keats Honor, and been finalist for the Kirkus Prize. She is a writer and educator with a passion for anti-bias, anti-racism and equity work. She holds a master’s from the Principal Leadership Institute at Berkeley and has been an English teacher, a dean, the designer of an alternative-to-prison program, a creator of educator professional development, and a high school vice principal.
She lives in the Bay Area, where she survives on homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoor adventures, and dance parties with her kids. Keep your eyes open for more books to come!
Find more of Joanna at:
- Website: joannahowrites.com
- Instagram: @joannahowrites
- Podcast: Kidlit Happy Hour
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