by R. F. Kuang
First published 2026
Lily Chen arrives in Taipei as a college freshman, ready to master Mandarin and connect with her Chinese heritage through an intensive summer program. The classes prove brutal, her roommate becomes unbearable, and a spontaneous hot springs trip with a near-stranger sparks cruel campus rumors. Just as Lily begins questioning whether Taiwan will ever feel like home, devastating news arrives: her grandfather has died. His death leaves her family history locked away, full of gaps she can no longer fill. Lily finds herself piecing together fragments of memory and family stories, searching for answers that may not exist. Her attempts at connection swing between comedy and heartbreak as she navigates grief in a place that promised belonging but delivered isolation. The summer becomes less about language mastery and more about accepting hard truths about family, identity, and the limits of homecoming.
Genres: literary-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, asian-american, family-drama, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Taipei, Taiwan
288 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow