Declaration of War

About the Book

Declaration of War is a story about an Asian woman’s pursuit to seek for her true identity. It gives a close-up view about the realities and weights a professional woman faces and struggles with. The story is particularly set at the time before, and shortly after, the eve of the financial tsunami, at a far-eastern manufacturer which has operations at both sides of the Taiwan Strait. It intends to take readers to Asia back to this turbulent period of time, with a view of a professional woman, to see what a group of people go through in the background.
Elizabeth is a talented professional woman—witty, diligent, and highly-motivated. Standing before the age of forty, she has a package ready for success: a good education, solid track records, and a keen and unyielding attitude. In a career world that is written by men’s terms and favors, she carefully takes on the path that she thinks will lead her to the top.
Nevertheless, she grows into an obsession with a goal to rewrite her family’s legacy of financial ruin. The cutthroat corporate culture triggers the very wounds she has long suppressed, forcing her healing journey to unfold. In the midst of her struggle, she encounters two pivotal figures who are creative interpretations of God’s multifaceted character, Willy and Margret.
Before the ruthless tidal waves of the economic contraction hits on Elizabeth and others and engulfs everything, grace tactfully sneaks in as a harbinger. At the end of her tether, grace captures her when human cruelty takes the final strike in the form of accusation and crucifixion. Through love, friendship and divine inspiration, Elizabeth discovers the true essence of leadership and the realization that life is both capricious and transient. The drastic exodus leads her to a new project, foreshadowing an unsettling future. Above all, she learns that true strength comes from the identity bestowed by the Divine. With this realization, her grief as a daughter is healed. Grace, intrusively and offensively invading her, reminds her who she is and sends her to a new path.
DECLARATION OF WAR serves as a simile—the internal strength one must summon to combat the darkness within. It is a hero’s journey to rediscover one’s true identity, defining love through the lens of wholeness while exploring the depths of faith, the bittersweet pain of growth, and the "messy" beauty of redemption.

About the Author

Hong, Jia-Ling, also known as Constance Hong, graduated from the Department of Foreign Language and Literature in National Cheng Kung University, and she holds the equivalent of a master’s degree in international trade matters. She worked for more than a decade dedication in a commercial field, gaining experience in business development, customer services, and operation management. After the financial tsunami, Hong sensed that a paradigm shift might occur. With her husband’s support, she decided to go for her dream job. But she is still figuring what that is. Constance has a wide spectrum of interests and observations concerning the development of human lives. Constance, who retains her maiden name, lives in Hsinchu City, Taiwan, with her husband and two sons.