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Bound by Blood, Bridged by Love

Journal Kyaw Ma Ma Lay
,
San Shwe Baw
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Bound by Blood, Bridged by Love is a moving novel that bridges two cultures through the bond between a brother and sister separated by distance but united by blood. Set in the aftermath of World War II, Yumisan, a young Japanese woman, discovers she has a Burmese half-brother, Maung Maung—born from her father’s wartime relationship with a local woman in Myanmar. Determined to uncover her family’s hidden past, Yumisan travels to Myanmar to find him. Their meeting sparks a complex journey of discovery and reconciliation, as both siblings confront cultural divides, the wounds left by war, and the difficult path toward understanding and forgiveness.

Published: Mar/2026

ISBN: 9789815323696

Length: 434 Pages

Bound by Blood, Bridged by Love

Journal Kyaw Ma Ma Lay
,
San Shwe Baw

Bound by Blood, Bridged by Love is a moving novel that bridges two cultures through the bond between a brother and sister separated by distance but united by blood. Set in the aftermath of World War II, Yumisan, a young Japanese woman, discovers she has a Burmese half-brother, Maung Maung—born from her father’s wartime relationship with a local woman in Myanmar. Determined to uncover her family’s hidden past, Yumisan travels to Myanmar to find him. Their meeting sparks a complex journey of discovery and reconciliation, as both siblings confront cultural divides, the wounds left by war, and the difficult path toward understanding and forgiveness.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback
Amazon

Journal Kyaw Ma Ma Lay

Journal Kyaw Ma Ma Lay, often regarded as one of the foremost Burmese writers of the 20th century, authored nearly twenty books along with numerous articles and short stories. Many of her contemporaries, as well as younger writers, recognize her as a literary genius who had a unique gift for transforming everyday events into compelling narratives. Her works reflect the lives, struggles, and aspirations of modern Burmese society, resonating deeply with readers across generations. Ma Ma Lay was also one of Burma’s few prominent female authors during her time, she became the president of the Writers Association in 1948.

Ma Ma Lay won two top Burmese Literary Prizes for Not Out of Hate and A Slow Stream of Thoughts and Burmese Medicine Tales. She passed away in 1982 at the age of sixty-five.

San Shwe Baw

San Shwe Baw holds a B.A. in English from the Institute of Education, Yangon, Burma, an advanced diploma in English Language Teaching (DELT) from the University of Leeds, U.K., and an M.A. in TESOL from St. Michael's College, U.S.A. He retired slightly over a year and a half ago as an Assistant Professor at the Theodore Maria School of Arts, Assumption University, Thailand, where he served for nearly three decades. Before moving to Thailand in 1994, he spent twelve years as an English tutor at Yangon University and Sittwe College. His English language teaching articles have been published in both Thailand and the United States. San Shwe Baw is the author of five novels: The Astrologer’s Predictions, Enslaved by English, Love by Fate, I Gave My Life for Thee, and A Candle in Darkness. These works have been published by Myat Su Mon Sarpay, Global Ahlin, Myanmar Book Center, Seikku Cho Cho, and Juty Sarpay in Myanmar. His fourth novel, I Gave My Life for Thee, the English translation of the Burmese novel Myay Si Mel Mel Thway Yel Yel, won the prestigious 10th Mekong Literary Award. Additionally, two more books translated from Burmese to English are expected to be published by March this year, further expanding his contributions to multilingual literature.