When We Were Orphans

by Kazuo Ishiguro

First published 2001

Christopher Banks, England's most famous detective, has always been haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his parents in 1920s Shanghai. Now, two decades later, he returns to the city, determined to uncover the truth and find closure. As he delves into his childhood memories and retraces his steps, Banks confronts a web of secrets, lies, and unsettling revelations that challenge everything he thought he knew. In this gripping tale of memory, identity, and the search for belonging, Ishiguro masterfully explores the profound impact of our past on the present.

Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, detective, 21st-century

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: search-for-belonging, unreliable-narrator

Setting: China, Shanghai (China), Great Britain

Period: 20th century

335 pages · Paperback · Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

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