We have a lot of eARC’s and we want to promote them a little bit more. So we decided to do some more Bookish Beginnings On Friday. Today I wanted to share the start of Taipei Story by Rebecca F. Kuang. I was so excited to see I got sent this eARC and I can’t wait to see how this story starts. Let’s get into it!
From R.F. Kuang, the acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author of Katabasis and Yellowface, comes a wryly humorous and profoundly moving coming-of-age novel that grapples with grief, language, and culture shock—all set against the backdrop of an unforgettable summer in Taipei.
College freshman Lily Chen is off to spend the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program like so many Chinese American students before her, hoping to connect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood. But a promising start quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate is driving her insane, and a reckless trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon has her classmates viciously gossiping. She feels adrift, a foreigner in a country she thought would feel like home.
Then shocking news Lily’s grandfather has passed away. The loss forces her to grapple with now-unanswerable questions about her family history. As Lily grieves, she’s drawn into a journey of self-discovery—piecing together memories, stories, and silences over a series of hilarious and devastating attempts at connection.
Taipei Story What if the diaspora fantasy of homecoming never comes true? What if learning a language can’t bring you any closer to the people you’re trying to reach? What if you search for your family’s history, but your family doesn’t want to share? What if you wait too long to ask the right questions? As Lily struggles for answers, her summer becomes a poignant search for understanding—of herself, her family, and the meaning of home.
When I reached my gate at Logan Airport, I discovered there were a lot of Chinese American students boarding the United flight from Boston to Taipei with a layover in San Francisco. In fact, I recognized one of them. We’d had some lecture classes together, and I was pretty sure her name was either Joyce or Jessica. I didn’t know the others. But I knew they were Chinese Americans on their way to study Chinese in Taipei because it was the first week of June, when all the intensive summer language programs began, and because they were chattering about whether the layover was long enough, whether they would have to re-check their bags before the next flight. They looked Chinese, but not Chinese Chinese. You could tell from the summer tans, the ruddy cheeks, the sun-browned hair. Chinese Americans always looked like Chinese people put through a broiler.
I realised I barely read the synopsis and I actually had no idea what this book was about haha. But since R.F. Kuang wrote it I know I want to read it haha. I love the writing style of this first bit and I want to continue reading right away. Storywise nothing really happens yet and I can’t say I know anything about the main character. But I still had to force myself to stopping reading to write this post haha.
This one releases early September, so I hope to read it this summer. I think this book will have a very different vibe from Rebecca’s previous books and I’m really excited to see how I will like it. So far I loved all of her books and I can’t imagine not liking this one haha. I can’t wait to share my thoughts on this one once I read it!
