by Lisa Yee
First published 2023
Maizy Chen never expected to visit Last Chance, Minnesota. Her mom said they would stay just two weeks while her grandfather recovered. But plans shift, and Maizy finds herself the only Asian American kid in town, spending her days at the Golden Palace, her family's restaurant that spans generations. The Golden Palace holds more than recipes and fortune cookies. Maizy notices the tension between her mom and grandmother. She wonders about the faces in the old photographs hanging in the office. When a treasured family heirloom disappears and someone leaves a racist message, Maizy knows she must act. Her search for answers leads her deeper into her family's past. Each discovery brings new questions about the people she thought she knew. Maizy must navigate the complicated relationships around her while confronting the reality of being different in a small town. The restaurant becomes her classroom, teaching her about heritage, belonging, and the courage to stand up for what matters.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, asian-american, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Last Chance, Minnesota
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Paperback · Yearling
Content warnings: racism