by Thao Thai
First published 2026
Vivi Nguyễn works as an art conservator at a Chicago museum, living a careful and controlled life while avoiding her own painful memories. Her sister Calla lives differently. She creates art, charms people, and takes risks. She also struggles with addiction recovery. The sisters stopped speaking after their father died. Months later, Calla shows up at Vivi's museum carrying a sketch and letter from their father's belongings. The sketch copies a painting called Blue Mirror by Vietnamese artist K.P. Lý. The letter mentions a lost artwork. Calla believes their father wanted them to find this missing piece together. Vivi must choose between her orderly existence and joining her unpredictable sister on this search. Their quest takes them from Wisconsin forests to a French estate to an ancestral home in Vietnam. The journey forces both women to confront what they have buried and discover how the past shapes their present.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary, adult, adult-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, introspective, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: estranged-siblings, found-family, journey-of-self-discovery, second-chance
Setting: Chicago, Wisconsin, France, Vietnam
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
496 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Large Print
Content warnings: addiction, death