"Be Friends with Suffering"

Be Friends with Suffering by Catherine Chiu is an honest, deeply personal account of her last decade, split between the UK and Hong Kong, as she navigates single parenthood and chases her dream of becoming a pilot.

Catherine's story begins with her arrival in England as a nine-year-old overseas student, and unfolds through the years that followed—becoming a mother whilst still at university, finding the strength to leave an unhealthy relationship, and building a career in private banking while raising her daughter Skye in the bustle of Hong Kong. Along the way, she earned a place on a pilot training programme with a major airline, only to face obstacles that prevented her from completing it, all whilst adapting to life in a modern blended family.

The book doesn't shy away from the harder moments: the reality of making ends meet as a working parent in one of the world's most expensive cities, landing a promising job and then losing it after taking time off to grieve her brother's death by suicide. What she discovered was that mourning him was only the beginning—it opened the door to deeper reflections on the challenges and quiet victories of the past ten years. With candour and vulnerability, Catherine also explores her journey with mental health and sexuality, tackling topics that are often left unspoken yet resonate deeply with so many.

At thirty-one, Catherine represents a generation of millennials redefining what success and resilience look like. This new chapter, she writes, is less about external achievements and more about the quality of her inner conversations, shaped by self-actualisation practices and Vipassana meditation. It's a journey through trauma, healing, ambition, and unexpected laughter—written for anyone weathering their own life transitions, as a reminder that you're not walking that path alone.