Biographical
When Kingston returned from her father's funeral, she found her home in flames. The fire consumed both her house and the manuscript of a novel she was writing. In this interview with Dave Welch and Miel Alegre, Kingston talks about The Fifth Book of Peace, a book inspired in part by these losses. http://www.powells.com/authors/kingston.html
Cultural
These Chinese Mythology links will help you frame Kingston's writings in literary and cultural contexts. http://www.livingmyths.com/Chinese.htm