December Book Club - Taipei Story by Rebecca Kuang
What does it mean to belong somewhere when you feel like an outsider in both the country you grew up in and the one your family calls home?
For our next read, we’re heading to Taiwan with Taipei Story by Rebecca F. Kuang, the bestselling author of Yellowface, Babel and Katabasis. Set over one summer in Taipei, this coming-of-age novel explores the complexities of cultural identity, language, family and the search for belonging. For those of us who have grown up between cultures, or made a home far from where our families began, it’s a story that may feel particularly familiar.
📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY! The first 12 readers to sign up will receive a free copy of Taipei Story, sent to your home before book club day, courtesy of Borough Estate.
How it works: There are two ticket types for this event: Standard and Lucky 13. Choose a Lucky 13 ticket (if still available) to secure your complimentary copy. We’ll contact recipients directly by email to confirm and arrange delivery.
Date: 12 December, Saturday, 2pm–4pm
Location: Pimlico
About the book
Yale student Lily Chen arrives in Taipei hungry: for family, for culture, for connection.
But her summer of discovery quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate unbearable, and a reckless, deeply awkward trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon ignites vicious gossip.
Then her grandfather dies.
Grieving and adrift, Lily must confront her own questions about the culture she inherited but never fully understood. She embarks on a wryly funny, often devastating search for understanding: of herself, her family, and the meaning of home.
All over one unforgettable summer in Taipei. (Goodreads)
Available on Kindle from £9.99. 303 pages.
ESEA Book Club is a not-for-profit community initiative. All fees collected go towards venue hire, refreshments and other administrative costs associated with organising our events.
🎟️ Tickets are non-refundable and cover facilitation and platform costs. Please consider before purchasing.
🍵 Light refreshments are provided. Feel free to bring along your own snacks.
🤐 Spoiler alert: We encourage you to read the book before attending!
👥 Please note that this space is reserved for women, trans, non-binary and genderqueer folk.
Direct all questions to eseabookclub@gmail.com.