Seated side-by-side at their kitchen table in San Jose, 94 year old Crescenciana Tan and her grandson, Kenneth Tan, got to work. Crescenciana made watercolor paintings and Kenneth drew her memories on top of them. When Crescenciana passed, she left behind her paintings, and Kenneth decided he would finish everything she started. He promised.

In Crescenciana, Kenneth weaves together their artwork, conversations, and memoirs to tell his grandmother’s life story and remind us that we can move forward without leaving our loved ones behind.

Tans Interwoven is a collection of honest, heartwarming, and humorous memoirs written by a Filipino American family, with illustrations created by Crescenciana Tan and Kenneth Tan.

Braiding their stories together, the Tans remind us that in our own families, with our lives entwining, we won’t see the patterns we’re repeating unless we take a moment to stop, step back, and look at the entire tapestry altogether.

About the Author:

Kenneth Tan is a second-generation Filipino American living in his hometown of San Jose. He has shared stories about his grandmother on NPR and StoryCorps, and he is a recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artists Award.