Of Hedgehogs and Hope

A Memoir Blog by Mi Ae Lipe

Latest from Of Hedgehogs and Hope — A Memoir Blog

Nancy and Dewey

Mar 9, 2022 | Family, Mi Ae's Story

Greetings! It has been such a long, long time since I last wrote in this memoir. Suffice to say that huge portions of life got in the way during much of 2021, and it was a very difficult year. The good news is I’m back in the writer’s chair once again. Words and...

The Pines of Portola

Jan 26, 2021 | Flora, Family

The trees held our secrets. Tall, scraggly, full, brown, bent, straight, leaning, broken, and vibrant, Monterey pines served as the sentries of our property in the hills of Portola Valley, a town just west of Stanford University, about halfway between San Francisco...

Welcome to Hedgehogs and Hope

Jan 26, 2021 | Mi Ae's Story

Hello! A warm welcome to Mi Ae Story, a memoir blog more than 50 years in the making. My name is Mi Ae Lipe, and I was born in South Korea, adopted by brilliant American parents as an infant, and raised to be a childhood art prodigy in the San Francisco Bay Area....

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About Of Hedgehogs and Hope — A Memoir Blog

My name is Mi Ae Lipe. In sharing my story, I hope that “Of Hedgehogs and Hope — A Memoir Blog” offers glimpses into what it means to not just survive but to come out the other side with grace, compassion, and being true to yourself, scars and all.

Born in South Korea, I was adopted by American parents as an infant, and raised to be a childhood art prodigy in the San Francisco Bay Area. That’s where my story begins, and what a story it is. Bizarre, traumatic, remarkable, and wondrous—yet a testament to the human experience in all its cruelty, resilience, brilliance, and hope.

Although my story is uniquely my own, my experiences are all ours to know. Chances are you’ll recognize bits of yourself in what I relate and explore.

Get to know Mi Ae