{"product_id":"taipei-story","title":"Taipei Story (Deluxe Limited Edition) by R.F. Kuang","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"mb-1 mt-2 whitespace-pre-line leading-relaxed first:mt-0\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eComing-of-age • summer in Taipei • intensive language program • diaspora homecoming (and the disillusionment) • grief after a family loss • identity + culture shock • wry humor + emotional gut-punch • family secrets\/silences\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePerfect for readers of:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmart, voicey coming-of-age novels that are funny until they’re devastating\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiaspora stories about “returning” to a place that doesn’t feel like home\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrief narratives that unravel family history and what goes unsaid\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who’s ever believed language would be the bridge—and found out it isn’t always\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpice: 1\/5\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-1 mt-2 whitespace-pre-line leading-relaxed first:mt-0\"\u003eLiterary coming-of-age with emotional intimacy, not heat.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe vibe\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-1 mt-2 whitespace-pre-line leading-relaxed first:mt-0\"\u003eCollege freshman \u003cstrong\u003eLily Chen\u003c\/strong\u003e heads to Taipei for the summer to attend an intensive language program—something many Chinese American students do in hopes of connecting to the culture they inherited but never fully understood. At first, it feels like a promising start. Then everything starts to fray: the classes are brutal, her roommate is driving her insane, and one reckless hot springs trip with a guy she barely knows turns into vicious gossip that leaves Lily feeling exposed and alone.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-1 mt-2 whitespace-pre-line leading-relaxed first:mt-0\"\u003eInstead of finding belonging, Lily feels adrift—like a foreigner in the very place she thought would feel like home. And then the news that changes everything arrives: \u003cstrong\u003eher grandfather has died\u003c\/strong\u003e. Grief hits hard, and with it comes a new kind of panic—questions about her family history that are now impossible to ask the one person who might have answered them.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mb-1 mt-2 whitespace-pre-line leading-relaxed first:mt-0\"\u003eAs Lily tries (and often fails) to connect—through language, through memory, through the stories her family tells and the silences they keep—her summer becomes a wryly funny, profoundly moving search for understanding. Not just of Taipei, but of herself, her family, and what “home” is supposed to mean when the fantasy of homecoming doesn’t come true.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTropes \u0026amp; tags\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComing-of-age \/ literary contemporary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSummer abroad \/ Taipei setting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntensive language program\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiaspora identity \/ culture shock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrief + family history\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntergenerational silence \/ secrets\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHumor + heartbreak blend\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelf-discovery \/ redefining “home”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Romantasy Bookstore","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49518632370435,"sku":"0063473747","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0767\/7843\/8915\/files\/taipeistory.png?v=1787694269","url":"https:\/\/romantasybookshop.com\/products\/taipei-story","provider":"Romantasy Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}