Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange

Goh began writing this book with the intent of eventually making sense of who she was and finding her place in the world. She is multiracial, queer, and seemingly at odds with the political and social structures of today. She ties the metaphor of the orange to different aspects and occurrences in her life, and it works very well. Along the way, readers learn a lot about the orange and citrus fruit in general: its origins, cultivation, symbolism, and uses throughout the ages. The most fascinating part of this work, however, is the wisdom Goh shares with readers while making her journey of self-discovery thus far. Her writing is meticulous and detailed and ultimately inspiring. She uses places she has gone to in making analogies, including a small town in China where her ancestors originated; a village northwest of Kuala Lumpur, where her grandparents relocated; and the city in Northern Ireland she currently calls home.