by Kelly Yang
First published 2023
Lina Gao steps off the plane in Los Angeles at age ten, seeing her parents and little sister for the first time in five years. She lived with her grandmother in Beijing while her family built their American dream, enduring classmates who called her "left behind girl." Now she expects the wonderful life her mother described in letters. Reality hits hard. School proves difficult, and when Lina mispronounces English words on her first day, she decides to stop speaking entirely. Her younger sister speaks perfect English and seems to win their parents' attention effortlessly. The family lives in a cramped apartment, not the house from Mom's letters, and they owe months of back rent from the pandemic. Her mother's plan to earn money seems unrealistic. Lina bottles up her disappointment and hurt. When her teacher faces criticism for assigning a book that speaks to Lina's experience, Lina must find the courage to speak up and claim her place in this new world.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, coming-of-age, 21st-century, asian-american, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Beijing, Los Angeles
Period: 21st-century
301 pages · Kindle Edition · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers