Literature in Longmeadow: Jasmine Leng and Grace Kim Collaborate Through Generations
Published in Longmeadow Neighbors February 2025
Two Longmeadow residents, Jasmine Leng and Grace Kim, a generation apart, wrote The Realm of Whispers, a modern hero’s journey and allegorical tale about the virtues of concentration and social connection, because it tells an old-fashioned tale with themes that students are feeling right now.
“[The Realm of Whispers] is the book that we want to read with the children in our lives. There are plenty of books that discuss character virtues, but none that address the contemporary plight of endless distraction from our phones and computers,” said Grace and Jasmine.
Jasmine Leng
“We are surrounded by screens displaying content from algorithms optimized for engagement, which takes away from our engagement in the physical world. The goal of this book is to help people reflect on their technology use and consider alternate ways of spending their time in prosocial ways.”
While the story behind the story might seem improbable (generations collaborating together), it’s quite the yarn. Grace and Jasmine’s mother, Angela, are old friends, and during conversation, Angela mentioned how her high school daughter, Jasmine, likes to write. This piqued Grace’s imagination.
“I had the idea for this book, and I wanted it to be a modern-day allegory to promote concentration and social connection as ‘virtues.’ I was telling Angela about this book idea, and Jasmine came over and joined our discussion. I pitched her the idea and asked her to collaborate with me. I’d written one chapter, but I knew that I would never make progress on this project if I didn’t have a collaborator.”
From there, conversation, camaraderie, and chapters began flowing, and soon, a narrative developed that borrowed themes from older classics, such as The Phantom Tollbooth, and modernized them, moved them to NYC, and added elements of folklore and social media.
“Even though I’m 20 years older than Jasmine,” said Grace, “we connected about how we both grew up with minimal screen time in our childhoods. It’s rare for children to grow up without screens now, and there aren’t any stories about how to set boundaries with this technology. We both grew up reading stories promoting character traits like honesty or hard work. Although those are timeless lessons, we also need new stories to teach children about how to manage distractions, the power of concentration, and the importance of social connection. Jasmine felt inspired by the project and wanted to be a part of it.”
Managing two busy schedules was difficult, but Grace and Jasmine quickly found their groove.
“We managed the writing process by alternating chapters,” said Grace. “Since one writer was waiting on the other to continue the story, there was a sense of accountability. Most importantly, however, we set loose deadlines to account for the ebb and flow of life. This was intended to be a fun side project, and we never lost sight of that.”
While they were writing, they also taught themselves how a book gets published. They researched literary agents, publishers, and how one can directly publish to Amazon. With checklists in hand, they collectively worked not just on their chapters, but on the business side of the industry.
“When one person got busy with the demands of life, the other stepped up and took on more. It’s been a very collaborative effort,” said Jasmine.
Jasmine Leng is a high school senior at Longmeadow High School who has two sisters, one in 6th grade and another in 2nd, and parents who work in education. In addition to being a published writer, Jasmine is a Renaissance woman, with hobbies galore.
Grace Kim
“Music has been a long-time interest of mine; I’ve played piano since I was five and I play flute in the high school band,” Jasmine says. “I also used to ride horses and swim competitively, and I still enjoy doing those activities for fun in my free time. And of course, I love creative writing, but especially poetry, because it gives you pretty much free expressive rein, which really appeals to me.”
Like many other high school seniors, Jasmine has some ideas of how she wants to spend her career after school. “I would love to be a science fiction author and poet. I’m most interested in writing about societal challenges like climate change and cultural awareness,” she says.
Grace Kim, a computer scientist, recently branched out on her own, becoming an Independent Consultant with her company Mapping Insight, helping clients with Data Science, AI Strategy Consulting, and more. Before that, she worked as a scientist for NASA and for a bevy of other companies helping them with computing. Ever evolving, Grace is continually exploring how she wants her future to unfold—and now that she has one book under her belt, it seems like she’s on the precipice of more and more books.
When she isn’t at work, Grace enjoys time with her 6-year-old and 2-year-old and her husband, who works as a healthcare provider in Springfield. When she isn’t at the page or at the computer, Grace enjoys learning about different perspectives.
“Listening to podcasts and reading books is a big part of my life when I’m not working or spending time with family. I’m especially interested in the megatrends that we face as a society, such as the changing climate and how artificial intelligence will continue to change our economy. I enjoy writing but mostly in the form of journaling. Reflecting and finding meaning through organizing my thoughts is how I cope with the challenges of life and remain optimistic about the future.”
“My favorite way to spend a weekend is taking day trips to the amazing places within an hour or so from Longmeadow. I love the Connecticut shore when the weather’s warm. During the fall and winter, I enjoy going west to the Berkshires and north to Vermont to enjoy nature.”
Longmeadow helped to unite Grace and Jasmine, and they appreciate the bounty that Longmeadow can bestow upon its residents.
“It’s a really great place to be a kid because there are so many families with people my age. You grow up around other families. It’s nice to see people you know in the community,” Jasmine says.
Grace Kim agrees. “It’s a town with a strong sense of place. There’s history, and the residents are civically engaged. I also really appreciate that there are so many people walking and biking around, including children and teens. The pedestrian activity creates an added vitality to what would otherwise be a sleepy suburban town.”
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