Mami King: How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and the Perfect Bowl of Soup

By Jacqueline Chio-Lauri and Kristin Sorra

Rejected by the parents of the girl he loves for being poor, Ma Mon Luk strikes out from China and boards a steamship headed for the Philippines in 1918.

He vows to make a fortune and return for his beloved. Ma creates a chicken noddle soup he calls mami—"ma" for his name and "mi" for noodles—and peddles it as a street vendor. He eventually earns enough to open his own restaurant and wins the approval of the parents of his true love. Joyful illustrations from award-winning illustrator Kristin Sorra and heartwarming text from debut picture book author Jacqueline Chio-Lauri blend together to create a delicious story about creativity, perseverance, and the perfect bowl of soup. Satisfy your hunger with this Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

"A savory success story."—Booklist

"An absolutely wonderful and inspiring story, beautifully illustrated. So much depth, so many layers! But at its core, this is fundamentally a story about the enduring power of love and how that helped Ma Mon Luk to achieve the impossible…A valuable addition to any bookshelf."—Emma Pearl, author of Mending the Moon and Saving the Sun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Apr 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798765619155

Jacqueline Chio-Lauri

Jacqueline Chio Lauri is a writer, anthologist, and editor based in Manchester, England. Her work includes The New Filipino Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from around the Globe, We Cook Filipino: Heart-Healthy Recipes and Inspiring Stories from 36 Filipino Food Personalities and Award-Winning Chefs, and articles on global media sites, such as Huffington Post and Epicurious. Born and raised in the Philippines, Jacqueline holds a bachelor's degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from the University of the Philippines and earned multiple MBA-level Executive Certificates in Marketing & Business Strategies from Cornell University.

Book preview