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Title details for Typical American by Gish Jen - Available

Typical American

A Novel

by Gish Jen
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
This “irresistible novel” of Chinese immigrants navigating the American dream is “startling [and] heartrending, without ever losing its comic touch” (Entertainment Weekly).
 
Gish Jen reinvents the American immigrant story through the Chang family, who first come to the United States with no intention of staying. But when the Communists assume control of China in 1949, Ralph Chang, his sister Theresa, and his wife Helen find themselves in a crisis, struggling to cling to their old-world ideas of themselves.
 
But soon they begin to dream the American dream of self-invention. They transform, poignantly and ironically, from people who disparage all that is “typical American” to people who aspire to the American ideal. With droll humor and a deep empathy for her characters, Gish Jen creates a superbly engrossing story that sparkles with wit while challenging the reader to reconsider what it means to be a typical American.
 
“No paraphrase could capture the intelligence of Gish Jen’s prose, its epigrammatic sweep and swiftness . . . . The author just keeps coming at you line after stunning line.” —The New York Times Book Review

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 10, 2021

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780547524092

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780547524092
      • File size: 1115 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 2, 1992
      Jen's wry but compassionate debut novel--the story of a Chinese student adjusting to life in America--is a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle fiction award. Author tour.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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