Home Remedies: Stories

DEBUT This delightful debut collection of 12 stories should land on multiple must-read lists. Wang has captured the spirit and energy of contemporary Chinese youth seeking adventures abroad while navigating geographical and cultural boundaries. Most of the stories are set in the United States, but China never seems far away for some of Wang’s families, especially the parents of her Chinese youth. Several tales stand out for capturing the collision of traditions, values, generations, and even technologies. “Fuerdai to the Max” reveals the unhappy homecoming of a college-age narrator after he and some friends, most of them among China’s noveau riche, have assaulted a classmate. In “Home Remedies for Non-Life-Threatening Ailments,” Wang cleverly exposes the dimensions of a young woman’s familial relationships by creating a series of ailments, such as regrets, humiliation, or baby fever, then offers up ridiculously humorous cures.