A Good Fall

Appropriately, characters throughout this story collection all experience some sort of fall: One falls out of love after discovering his wife's secret past; another falls out of favor with his grandchildren for his traditionalist ways; a third fears a fall from his academic goals. No matter the changes within them, each story is interesting and well narrated. Set largely in a Chinese-American community in Queens, the stories also depict the struggle for success in America. Thanks to superb performances by the full cast, the distinct voices transition beautifully from the page to the ear. The only notable pauses come with some dialogue, wherein the word choice occasionally becomes awkward. However, these moments are few in a great production. L.B.F. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

September 21, 2009
From National Book Award–winner Jin (Waiting
) comes a new collection that focuses on Flushing, one of New York City's largest Chinese immigrant communities. With startling clarity, Jin explores the challenges, loneliness and uplift associated with discovering one's place in America. Many different generational perspectives are laid out, from the young male sweatshop-worker narrator of “The House Behind a Weeping Cherry,” who lives in the same rooming-house as three prostitutes, to the grandfather of “Children as Enemies,” who disapproves of his grandchildren's desires to Americanize their names. Anxiety and distrust plague many of Jin's characters, and while the desire for love and companionship is strong, economic concerns tend to outweigh all others. In “Temporary Love,” Jin explores the inevitable complications of becoming a “wartime couple” or “men and women who, unable to bring their spouses to America, cohabit... to comfort each other and also to reduce living expenses.” With piercing insight, Jin paints a vast, fascinating portrait of a neighborhood and a people in flux.