With the horrifying uptick in anti-Asian hate crimes, I want to shine a light on a list of wonderful stories by authors of Asian heritage. These five books all rank at the top of my all time favorites list and each one is wonderful in different ways.
This gem of a farce is ridiculously hilarious and a refreshing breath of fresh air. Beyond the fast paced, delightfully silly plot, the story also addresses deeper issues around immigration, assimilation, and the difficulty of bridging multiple cultures. I loved learning about the Indonesian Chinese community while laughing at the antics of Meddelin Chan’s meddling aunties along the way.
Every once in a while, a really special book comes along, a book that is just perfect for you in so many ways, and for me this is one of those books. Miracle Creek is a delectable combination of medical fiction, mystery, courtroom drama, and immigrant story all tightly woven into a fast paced and wonderfully readable novel. Kim’s writing is lyrical, seamless, and articulate and within the gorgeous prose, she also addresses many important topics and themes, including the difficulty of raising a child with special needs, the challenges of immigrating to a country where you don’t speak the language or know the customs, and the problems that arise in an interracial marriage.
The story centers on Lucia and Miranda Bok, two Chinese American sisters raised by a single mother in New Jersey. After their mother dies, Lucia has her first psychotic break, and both of their lives are forever altered. Miranda becomes obsessed with thoughts about her sister. Is she is taking her pills? Why she hasn’t called recently? Will she ever be able to live a normal life again? This fixation sabotages her relationship with her husband and prevents her from taking pleasure in her own life. A poignant exploration of the strength of family bonds, the horrors of mental illness and the meaning of home, this book kept me riveted right up to the devastatingly beautiful conclusion.
The heartbreaking story takes place in Vietnam and spans the middle of the twentieth century from 1930 to 1979. In alternating chapters, we hear first hand accounts from Tran Dieu Lan and her granddaughter, Huong. Before reading this book, my knowledge of Vietnamese history consisted solely of snippets about the Vietnamese war from an American perspective. This beautifully crafted story accounts the atrocities one family withstood over the course of fifty years, highlighting the resilience, fortitude and generosity of the Vietnamese people.
This is a wonderful rags to riches story with noodles, dumplings and ballroom dance. Charlie was born in America, but her parents immigrated from China and settled in New York’s Chinatown. After her mother dies, Charlie starts working as a dishwasher in her father’s noodle ship to help support her younger sister, Lisa. When she lands a job as a receptionist at a ballroom dance studio and is given the unexpected opportunity to teach dance, she finds she must make a choice between her family’s expectations and the life she wants to lead. This lovely novel is touching, sweet and delicious.