Taiwanese-American Mei is at MIT pursuing her parents’ dream for her to become a doctor, marry an ivy-league Taiwanese boy and have lots of babies. But she is germophobic times 100, falls for a Japanese boy and forget babies. There are so many ways her traditional parents think differently from her. She has to deal with the internalized obedience and guilt she feels for not doing what they want. And the lies she has to tell!
I listened to this audiobook and was laughing out loud. This was a window book for me and I delighted in learning so many details about the culture and traditions of Mei’s family. It is touching how much they love her and maddening how much control they use.
Mei’s growth as she struggles to be her own person will have you cheering. She even persuades her mother to stand up to the father when it comes to seeing Mei’s brother who had been disowned for marrying a woman they disapproved of.
So laugh and become a little wiser at the same time!
Tessa's Picks
7th-8th grade, Contemporary fiction, Character driven, Family life, Humor, Issues fiction, Global perspectives, People of color.