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Title details for The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang - Available

The Family Chao

by Lan Samantha Chang
Brian Nishii
Audiobook
41 of 41 copies available
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41 of 41 copies available
A REMARKABLE FAMILY NOVEL ABOUT RACISM, COMMUNITY AND JUDGEMENT, FOR LISTENERS OF CELESTE NG, C PAM ZHANG, BRIT BENNETT AND JEFFREY EUGENIDES
'An insightful comedy of the American immigrant experience, and of a small town's inner workings' JOHN IRVING
'One of the finest and most ambitious novels about America I've read' YIYUN LI
'A gorgeous and gripping literary mystery. . . reflecting themes of family, betrayal, passion, race, culture and the American Dream. . . A masterpiece' JEAN KWOK
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For years, the residents of Lake Haven, Wisconsin ignored the whispered troubles about the Chao family, if only to keep eating at the best restaurant in town. But when tyrannical patriarch Big Chao is found frozen to death in the family's meat freezer, scandalous events force the community to turn its attention to the three Chao sons.
Dagou – presupposed heir to the business.
Ming – accomplished city lawyer, determined to sever ties with Haven's Asian community once and for all.
James – naive college student, who is only just learning of his family's past.
When the family's dog mysteriously disappears, and Dagou 'Dog Eater' Chao is held on trial for his father's murder, the Chaos' turbulent history spills into the public eye, while a small town looks on in disbelief. . .
AN INVENTIVE COMIC MYSTERY ABOUT THE UNDERCURRENTS OF AN UNFORTUNATE DEATH AND A TIMELESS TALE ABOUT DISTRUST, JUDEGEMENT AND CONDEMNATION
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MORE PRAISE FOR THE FAMILY CHAO
'With nuance and slyness, wit and empathy, Chang turns the desires and deceits of one unhappy family into a moving and compelling saga of that classic American illness: ambition' VIET THANH NGUYEN
'At once a brilliant reimagining of Dostoevsky and a wholly original and gripping story about the passions, rivalries and searing pressures that roil a singular immigrant family' JESS WALTER
'The Family Chao is the ultimate family saga. Love, mystery, courtroom drama and lots of sibling rivalry. . . at every turn there's something new and surprising. I absolutely loved it. It's a masterclass' LUAN GOLDIE
'A gripping story of three brothers, their tyrannical father and the family restaurant set in the American Midwest. . . Chang writes brilliantly about love, hate, food, dogs, race, sex, morality and money. . . marvellous and wonderfully entertaining' MARGOT LIVESEY
'An intricate look at the so-called American Dream and one small-town American family trying and failing to save itself. . . An up-to-the-minute look at what it means to be accused and visible in America' ELIZABETH MCCRACKEN

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 1, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781004082452
      • File size: 315722 KB
      • Duration: 10:57:45

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Brian Nishii showcases his versatility with a lively and entertaining performance of this contemporary retelling of THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. For 35 years, the Chao family has successfully run an Americanized Chinese restaurant in Haven, Wisconsin. Nonetheless, they are still viewed as outsiders and subjected to racism. Nishii nails his characterization of the abrasive family patriarch, Leo Chao, with a gruff timbre and a sneering tone. After Leo is found dead during the holidays, his three sons, each with a potential motive, are put on trial for murder. Nishii expressively provides distinct voices and personalities for the sons and expertly captures the story's sardonic humor. Listeners will find this slow-burning novel enhanced by Nishii's skilled narration. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from December 6, 2021
      Chang follows up All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost with an ingenious and cunning reboot of Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. The harrowing and humorous family drama is wrapped in a murder mystery about a family of Chinese immigrants headed by patriarch Leo Chao, who builds a successful Chinese restaurant in Haven, Wis., with his wife, Winnie. Like Leo’s Dostoyevskian equivalent, Fyodor Karamazov, he has three sons: the youngest, James, who’s lost his Mandarin; the middle, Ming, who now lives in Manhattan; and the eldest, Dagou, the restaurant’s head chef. All is not well in the family. The sons reunite in Haven for the annual Christmas party to find that Winnie has tired of her tyrannical husband and has left him to seek spiritual enlightenment. The locals, meanwhile, have turned on Leo, as well: some in response to his cutthroat business dealings, others out of racism. After the party, Leo turns up dead, the authorities suspect foul play, and Dagou is charged with murder. As in Dostoyevsky’s novel, there is a trial, and important Chao family secrets will come to light, but Chang retells the story in a manner all her own, adding incisive wit while retaining the pathos. In this timely, trenchant, and thoroughly entertaining book, an immigrant family’s dreams are paid for in blood. For Chang, this marks a triumphant return.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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