by Atticus Lish
First published 2014
Zou Lei scrubs pots in a cramped New York kitchen, her hands raw from dishwater and dreams. An orphan from China's western deserts, she came to America seeking work and found only exploitation in restaurant basements. Then she meets a young veteran whose mind carries scars from Iraq's sand and heat. His nightmares wake them both, visions that blur the line between memory and warning. Together they navigate the city's harsh edges, sleeping in shelters when they can find space, dodging immigration raids, and fighting to stay afloat. Zou Lei's illegal status makes every day dangerous. The veteran's trauma makes every night a battlefield. They cling to each other as their only anchor in a world that offers little mercy to the displaced and broken. Their love becomes both refuge and risk as they struggle to build something lasting from the fragments of their shattered lives.
Genres: fiction, romance, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, refugees
Setting: China, Iraq, New York
Period: 21st-century
417 pages · Paperback · Tyrant Books
Content warnings: mental-illness, violence