Quick Synopsis

An unexpected act of violence brings together a Chinese-American family and a wealthy white lawyer in this propulsive and sweeping story of family, identity and the American experience—for fans of Jean Kwok, Mary Beth Keane and Naima Coster.

Publisher’s Synopsis

Set in New York and China over three decades, Paper Names explores what it means to be American from three different perspectives. There’s Tony, a Chinese-born engineer turned Manhattan doorman, who immigrated to the United States to give his family a better life. His daughter, Tammy, who we meet at age nine and follow through adulthood, and who grapples with the expectations of a first generation American and her own personal desires. Finally, there’s Oliver, a handsome white lawyer with a dark family secret and who lives in the building where Tony works. A sudden attack causes their lives to intertwine in ways that will change them forever.

Taut, panoramic and powerful, debut novelist Susie Luo’s Paper Names is an unforgettable story about the long shadows of our parents, the ripple effect of our decisions and the ways in which our love transcends difference.

Book Review

Paper Names was my most anticipated debut novel of May. I am sad to say that I was a bit disappointed although I still enjoyed it.

Paper Names is a debut novel about a Chinese American immigrant family struggling for the promised American Dream. The book explores the intersections of race, class, and identity, particularly in New York.

Paper Names is told from three points of view in a nonlinear timeline. The story is built through scenes or glimpses at the characters’ past and present. While I did not find this difficult to follow, I think the execution could have been better. I was intrigued by the plot and what surprises were in store. However, the structure often left me grasping for additional details while being forced to move on from a plot point. As a result, the story often felt shallow and meandering but full of seemingly random events (like the ending).

In Paper Names, Susie Luo created characters with the promise of complexity and depth but who ended up as the stereotypical Chinese immigrant family. Tammy is the pinnacle of the model minority archetype with the cold, driving immigrant parents who have impossibly high expectations. Add on top of that a rich, white man who acts as Tammy’s champion and savior (but whose intentions are not all benevolent and end up being unsurprisingly self-serving) and what you end up with is stock characters who lack development and breadth. Not to mention, disappointed readers who saw potential quickly vanish.

I came away from Paper Names wondering what Luo’s intentions were with the story. What did she want readers to take away? The book includes many topics without discernment resulting in confusing messaging. Ultimately, it was unclear what purpose Luo was trying to convey. I think many will draw varying conclusions from reading Paper Names. What I settled on was something along the lines of how the choices we make impact our identities and self-perception. Do the events in our lives wholly shape us or can we choose who we are despite our pasts?

Overall, I enjoyed reading Paper Names but struggled with mixed feelings once I finished. I think Susie Luo has a lot of potential and I look forward to her next book. As for whether I recommend it, I think that is for you to decide.

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