Oh, what a beautiful, brutal and special book. 

I absolutely loved this collection of linked short stories about two Taiwanese American women and their journey through life and friendship. While under 300 pages, the format allows us to witness three decades of their lives, with each story being a significant snapshot from a different time and alternating between the perspectives of Fiona and Jane. And with such a wide span of time, this covers an abundance of topics in a way that stunned me: Taiwan immigration to the U.S., reckless teenage escapades, exploring and discovering sexuality, moving away, moving home, career changes, romantic relationships, parenthood, family secrets, betrayal, illness, death.

There are some circumstances here that are far removed from anything I’ve experienced. I love and appreciate this and it’s why I read. And there are also events that I connected with so deeply, some so personal that I rarely speak out loud about them. This too, is why I read.

For those who shy away from short stories because sometimes they don’t feel complete enough, I highly recommend this collection because of the way they are all connected. I read several author interviews with Jean Chen Ho and she has said that this “novel in stories” was kind of an accident. My goodness. If the final result of this collection is an accident, I can’t wait to see what she does on purpose.