No Longer Running: An Interview with Felicia Heath

“And, later in life, when I was dealing with my father coming out of prison and perhaps rekindling that relationship, I started to look at my experience slightly differently. I started sharing bits and pieces of my story with people and, to my surprise, found that some of the reactions were positive and even inspiring.”

On August 9th, Merion West’s Celine Sleiman was joined by full-time physician and first-time author Felicia Thai Heath to discuss the writing of her memoir Spirit of a Hummingbird: Memories from a Childhood on the Run. Following the events of her early childhood as the daughter of a notorious Vietnamese criminal and escaped convict, Dr. Heath’s story covers the trials of crossing international boundaries on the run, poverty, and abuse. Although it is a test of endurance, her story is ultimately one of kinship, as well as healing in the aftermath of great dysfunction. In her conversation with Ms. Sleiman, Dr. Heath delves into the nuances of her writing process, the catharsis of finally sharing her story, and the quiet strength we can find in acceptance.

Felicia, I wanted to begin by asking where this project started. In the memoir, you mention your appreciation for stories and how they helped you through what was a very unconventional childhood. But writing is not your everyday profession, so I’m wondering if sharing this story has always been something you planned to do, or if it came about more recently?

It was not something that I’d always dreamed about doing. Initially, I saw my past as a shameful story and an experience with a lot of dysfunction. I didn’t feel comfortable sharing it with almost anybody. And, later in life, when I was dealing with my father coming out of prison and perhaps rekindling that relationship, I started to look at my experience slightly differently. I started sharing bits and pieces of my story with people and, to my surprise, found that some of the reactions were positive and even inspiring. So, that’s kind of when I started to think about writing the book, when I realized that people were listening when I was talking about my past, that my experience sounded interesting and is nothing to be ashamed of.