by E.L. Shen
First published 2026
In 1878, Duanfang will sacrifice anything to protect his Manchu family's honor, including burying his true identity. Nearly a century later, Zheng Yi arrives in New York from Taiwan, chasing her dream of American college. The city overwhelms her with wild parties and casual prejudice, yet she finds herself falling into a complicated romance. Just as Yi begins to find her footing, she faces a choice that will reshape everything. In the present day, Dawn Chin knows her family speaks in silences and impossible expectations. When a school assignment forces her to interview her grandmother, Dawn stumbles into truths that span centuries. The Chin family legacy unravels before her, revealing lies that have shaped three generations. Each family member has carried the weight of secrets, but Dawn must decide whether to preserve the fiction or expose what her ancestors died to hide.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary, asian-american, family-drama
Vibes: emotionally-complex, intimate, introspective, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets-revealed, hidden-identity, multigenerational-narrative, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New York, Taiwan, Manchu
Period: 1878, 20th century, 21st century, present day
448 pages · Hardcover · Quill Tree Books
Content warnings: death, racism