Đào Tiểu My, Vietnamese author of the awarded literature work Crevices (Rạn Vỡ) in 2016 Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants (TLAM), is currently serving her time in Taoyuan Women’s Prison. The reasons for her coming to Taiwan and the entire process of her being landed in prison were weaved into words, telling a heartbreaking story of a young woman who stepped into the road of international marriage industry. She was pregnant before being married to her Taiwanese husband in 2008, which further complicated her situation in the family she married to in conjunction with a multitude of misconceived cultural differences. Hoping to break up the arranged marriage and be sent back to her homeland Vietnam, Đào Tiểu My designedly set the house on fire to enact the plot of an ill-omened bride, only to find out dismally that the fire then turned uncontrollably and violently claimed the lives of two relatives from the husband’s family. 

Running a quick search by her name on the internet has clearly exposed the mainstream media bias about international marriage and immigrants with criminal convictions, where labeling and incitements had flooded all over. But, in my opinion, this incident of Đào Tiểu My is exactly the contemporary adaption of crime and punishment, revealing the situations and dilemmas of this neglected social class in our society. 

Word by word, falling into place, Đào Tiểu My’s life stories unfolded before the eyes of readers through her written work Crevices. She had looked into her regrettable mistake with great courage and was opened and frank about her remorse, which had led me looking inwardly to rethink and reflect on my own integrity when it comes to shoulder responsibilities of causing harm and loss to others.