"Berkeley to Beijing" with cover art by Jesse Hernandez

At long last the new book, "Berkeley to Beijing" written by my cousin Karen Kendall has debuted. She had me do the cover illustration years ago in 2004/2005 and am so happy to see it all finally come together. It turned out amazing, It's available all online at Amazon.com Barnes and Noble.com Iuniverse.com or you can get signed copies HERE

In 1973, twelve-year-old Karen Boutilier was invited by Shirley MacLaine to become the youngest member of the First American Women’s Friendship Delegation to China. The delegation consisted of eleven women, a four-woman film crew and Karen. The resulting Oscar nominated documentary, “The Other Half of the Sky: a China Memoir” aired in 1975. This extraordinary life altering experience was preceded by a most unusual childhood.

She lived, breathed, and experienced history in a way that exposed her to amazing, fascinating, and sometimes frightening situations. She was a preacher’s kid raised during the sixties. But, her father was not the stereotypical minister.

Karen had grown up living in communal strike houses, walking United Farm Worker picket lines, working on political campaigns, surviving the violence of Washington, D.C. and the Poor People’s Campaign, as well as attending marches and protest rallies for civil rights and the anti-war movement. While other kids drew in coloring books, she made picket signs. While other kids played with dolls, she took care of her brothers and sister. While other kids reveled in the innocence of childhood, she obsessively worried about the social and political problems of the day.

The stories in Berkeley to Beijing will lead you on an amazing journey through a remarkable and exciting childhood.

Congratulations Karen!!!