Taipei Story (Pre-Order Sept. 8, 2026)

Taipei Story by R. F. Kuang (Pre-order Sept. 8, 2026)

A poignant coming-of-age novel about identity, grief, and belonging from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Yellowface and Katabasis.

A summer abroad becomes a life-changing journey of self-discovery.

College freshman Lily Chen travels to Taipei for an intensive Mandarin language program—just like generations of Chinese American students before her. She hopes the experience will help her reconnect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood.

Instead, the summer quickly spirals. Her classes are exhausting, her roommate is impossible, and a reckless trip to the hot springs with a boy she barely knows leaves her the center of campus gossip. In a place that should feel like home, Lily feels more like an outsider than ever.

Then devastating news arrives: her grandfather has died. The loss forces Lily to confront the stories she never asked about and the family history she barely knows. As she struggles with grief, language barriers, and cultural disorientation, Lily begins to piece together the fragments of her identity through memories, family silences, and unexpected connections.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Taipei, Taipei Story is a sharp, tender novel about the complexities of diaspora, the difficulty of bridging generations, and the search for belonging in a world that doesn’t always feel like home.

Why readers love Taipei Story:

A powerful exploration of diaspora, culture, and identity
A moving story about grief, family, and unanswered questions
A literary coming-of-age novel filled with humor and emotional depth
Set during a transformative summer in Taipei

Perfect for fans of:

Literary coming-of-age fiction, Asian American literature, and readers of Crying in H Mart, Real Americans, and Everything I Never Told You.

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