Every May is Asian American and Pacific Island Heritage Month in the U.S. In celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander voices in both fiction and nonfiction, I have put together a list of my ten favorite books across genres by API authors – from both the U.S. and abroad.
Pachinko
Min Jin Lee
Synopsis: A New York Times Top Ten Book of the Year and National Book Award finalist, Pachinko is an extraordinary epic of four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family as they fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Wandering Souls
Cecile Lin
Synopsis: A haunting, gut-wrenching debut novel that paints a tender portrait of three Vietnamese child-refugees and their journey of hope, grief, and survival.
Genre: Literary Fiction
The School for Good Mothers
Jessamine Chan
Synopsis: In this New York Times bestseller, one lapse in judgement lands a young mother in a government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance, in this surreal, remarkable, and timely debut novel.
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
The Mountains Sing
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Synopsis: An enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while showing us the true power of kindness and hope.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Dust Child
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Synopsis: From the internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing, a suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việt Nam.
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Henna Artist
Alka Joshi
Synopsis: Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Jar of Hearts
Jennifer Hillier
Synopsis: This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years . . .
Genre: Thriller
After Perfect
Maan Gabriel
Synopsis: Gabby is getting a divorce after 20 years of being a housewife and having the perfect life with her childhood best friend. Single at 36 and without a plan, Gabby enrolls in a MFA program where she meets her hunky, mysterious professor Colt. Is Gabby destined for another heartbreak or will her connection with Colt unbreak her?
Genre: Romance
Biting the Hand: Growing Up Asian in Black & White America
Julia Lee
Synopsis: Julia Lee is angry. And she has questions. What does it mean to be Asian in America? What does it look like to be an ally or an accomplice? How can we shatter the structures of white supremacy that fuel racial stratification?
Genre: Nonfiction – Memoir
One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter
Scaachi Koul
Synopsis: A debut collection of fierce, funny essays about growing up the daughter of Indian immigrants in Western culture, addressing sexism, stereotypes, and the universal miseries of life.
Genre: Nonfiction – Essays
