From Powells:

A haunting, heart-rending first novel by an award-winning writer that speaks to the difficulties of forging an identity in a world of different cultures–and to the complexities of familial and sexual love.

This sums up the novel rather well. It was an intriguing narrative that I had to keep reminding myself was fiction. The way that it was written, with the bits and pieces that the author chose to share, the way it was laid out, the affective emotion portrayed… it was easily mistakable as an autobiography.

A co-worker lent me this book after we had a discussion about the children of immigrants losing their first language as they are immersed with English in schools. I see why that conversation reminded her of this book.
It was good. I’m not entirely sure that as a whole it was great, but the character study was very thorough, revealing, and well done. And I’m not sure that I will forget this story any time soon.