Our Wayward Fate

September 23, 2019
As the sole Asian-American at her small-town Indiana high school, Taiwanese-American Ali Chu is used to playing unperturbed in order to fit in, letting microaggressions go uncontested, and eschewing engagement with her culture in front of her white friends. But when Chase Yu moves to Plainhart from Flushing, N.Y., Ali questions her complacency, finding in him an ally, a kung fu sparring partner, and a boyfriend. Ali believes Chase’s Taiwanese-American identity should please her difficult mother, so she’s surprised when her mother insists that Ali break up with him. Family friends Ali doesn’t remember, a long-lost relative on the Chus’ doorstep, and Chase’s own mysterious past complicate the narrative, and Ali has her work cut out for her as she investigates her family’s enigmas. Chao (American Panda) treads familiar paths in regards to intergenerational miscommunication between immigrant parents and their children, but a reinterpretation of a classic Chinese romantic tragedy, “The Butterfly Lovers,” and the perspective of a park freshen the novel with varying degrees of success. Though readers versed in Asian-American literature will recognize some well-worn dynamics, this contemporary romance will find likely find appreciative readers. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary.

Emily Woo Zeller's narration captures the blossoming of Ali Chu, the only Taiwanese-American in a very white Indiana high school. Zeller reveals Ali's wit and uses more reflective tones to show her internal frustration at years of microaggressions. Ali's frustration becomes anger when peers assume she'll date Chase, the new Taiwanese-American boy. Zeller eloquently depicts the pair's intellectual attraction, clever repartee and, finally, their romantic connection. She also portrays the dynamics of the confusing relationship Ali has with her domineering, secretive mother. Zeller maintains narrative flow while still honoring the author's decision to include untranslated Chinese, along with a Chinese folktale that is key to the story's ending. Most importantly she expresses Ali's path to speaking up about her feelings and speaking out against wrongs. S.W. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine