And on the edge of a coastal rainforest, a grieving sister waits to witness a mysterious 'unravelling'. An underground dance party during Covid threatens to turn lethal. Interfering with an Indigenous burial site unleashes ancestral revenge, to a metal soundtrack. A poison garden unfurls a polite boy's deepest, darkest desires. One bite of an apple from a family shrine unearths hungry ghosts. Its strong themes are balanced by a beautiful romance making it a feel-good, yet important read.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling is a heart-wrenching, true-to-life exploration through the often neglected crevices of culture, mental illness, and family. And as her mother's condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.

Her father's new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren't right at home, she's starting to feel like she could be a normal teen.īut when her mother finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. When she's not looking after her brother and sister or helping out at her father's restaurant, she's taking care of her mother, whose debilitating mental illness keeps her in bed most days. The novel provides an insightful look at the powerful role food plays in our emotional lives.' - The New York Times Book ReviewĪn authentic novel about growing up in an Asian immigrant family with a mother who is suffering from a debilitating mental illness.Īnna Chiu has her hands full.

Shaozhen by Wai Chim