What We Are Reading in February

Imagine a space where cities and municipalities are delineated only by letters. A place in flux, a freewheeling confluence that does not commit to being American, Korea, or even Korean American. This is where “God-Disease” takes place. Strange things happen here. Identities warp and shift; sometimes they vanish altogether. In the titular story, a museum insect curator returns to her birth town, J Municipality, feeling empty and searching for answers about her mother’s absence. Was it insanity that plagued her, or was it shin-byeong ― god-disease?

Equal parts Southern Korean Gothic and slipstream, the collection is a meditation on language, identity, and names, and how deceptively fragile they can be.

Issa Bui and Olivia Nong grew up dreaming of becoming movie stars. But for young Vietnamese women in 1930s Hollywood, the MGM back lot seems unreachable. Undeterred, Issa knows she’s meant for great things. The blood of shamans runs through her veins. To find fame in this town, for herself and for Olivia, Issa needs to make connections. For starters, with her dead grandmother Bà Ngoại.

A formidable presence of smoke, promises, and pacts, Bà Ngoại introduces Issa and Olivia to the late Ava Lin Rang, an Asian star of the silent screen. Ava coaches, encourages, and utilizes her own unique influence to open doors for her determined protégés. As Issa begins drawing on her own untapped powers, every dream is coming true. But in a city of illusions, at what cost?

Josiah Chang arrives in 1940s Vancouver ready to prove his loyalty by serving his country during WWII. But Chinese Canadians are barred from joining the army out of fear they might expect citizenship in return. Instead, Josiah finds work as a riveter, fastening together the ribs and steel plates of Victory ships. 

One night at a navy club, Josiah spots Poppy and, despite their different backgrounds, they instantly fall in love. But when Poppy’s father comes to visit, the harsh reality of their situation is made clear. Determined to prove himself to Poppy, her parents, and the world, Josiah travels to Toronto where he’s finally given the chance to enlist. This debut novel explores what one man must sacrifice to belong in the only home he has ever truly known. 

“Almost Sunset” follows a young Muslim American boy during Ramadan as he finds the balance between his family traditions and his secular middle school life. Perfect for fans of “Swim Team” and “Chunky,” Gene Luen Yang calls the book “funny, endearing, and an intimate look at a Muslim family.” This is one of the only graphic novel middle-grade books centered around Ramadan, and comes at a time when Muslim representation is more important than ever.

The patriarch of the Ibrahim family just lost his fortune because of a Ponzi scheme, and the family is picking up the pieces. At the family’s core is Asma — a successful doctor and the middle daughter who stepped into the family center after her mother’s death. Asma is living the life she has always wanted, fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a doctor … or so she thinks.

In walks Farooq Waheed, Asma’s college sweetheart who was shunned by Asma’s aunt and father. Now, Farooq is wealthy and considered one of the most eligible bachelors in California. Asma now navigates a tricky landscape — her pushy sisters, gossiping aunties, and her father’s expectations — as she reconciles the past and wins Farooq back in the present. 

Content Warning: sexual assault, domestic violence, racism, substance and drug abuse

In her debut memoir, Sung carefully allows readers to follow her from childhood to adulthood. Compiled of many shorter stories, the book delves deep into her intergenerational, racial, sexual, and mental trauma, as well as domestic violence experiences. Growing up as a first-generation Korean American with immigrant parents, Sung tries to reconcile two vastly different worlds. One is filled with strained family relationships due to conflicting ideas and beliefs from her parents on how Sung will bring pride to her family, and the other, an American one, rejecting her Korean heritage completely in order to blend in.

Sung writes about her early adulthood, when she enlists in the Air Force and navigates a male-dominated, white space. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, Sung has the undertaking of helping a partner in an interracial marriage understand the struggles of Asian Americans, raising a biracial son, and eventually trying to mend her relationship with her parents.

Sung’s vulnerability shines through in this book and allows the reader to share in her candid experiences.