Tran, E. M.

It’s disappointing that Xuan and her daughters are not revisited once the narrative returns to the past, but Tran’s debut is an engrossing story of the ties among mothers, daughters, and sisters, sprinkled with humor and intrigue. Fans of the strong women protagonists of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Nguyen Phan Que Mai’s The Mountains Sing will likely appreciate this less intensively told family story. Also good for book groups.