The Midnight Taxi

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera, 336 pages

After a no-show on a scheduled pickup, Sri Lankan-American taxi driver Siri is about to head home for the night when she decides to take one last fare to the airport. Only problem is that once she arrives at JFK, the fare is dead, stabbed in the chest in her locked taxi at some point along the way. With the help of her public defender, Siri must solve this murder before her arraignment just days away. 

The setup of this book is excellent, and I loved the look into Sri Lankan culture, life as a NYC taxi driver, and the harsh truths of an immigrant falsely accused of a crime. That said, I didn't think the mystery plot really held together particularly well, as there were several things that were left hanging (including a giant snake that we're, what, just supposed to forget about??). A decent read, but not the best mystery around.

A Killer in the Family

A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad, 320 pages

Ali is the second son of an established Mumbai family, happily letting his older brother stress over the family business while he partied his way through life. However, when his mom decides that he needs to grow up, well, he doesn't have much choice in the matter. Thankfully, she's picked Maryam, the daughter of New York real estate tycoon Abbas Khan, to be his wife, a relationship he happily supplements with an affair with Maryam's divorced sister, Farhan. As Ali gets more and more ensconced in the Khan family business, he begins to realize that there are some dark secrets in the family and chooses to launch his own investigation, completely unsure of where it will lead.

It's hard to read a book about the ultra-rich and feel any sympathy for them these days, but thankfully, no sympathy is required with this cast of characters. Generally speaking, they're all horrible in one way or another (some in multiple ways), and the plot keeps you guessing. I also appreciated seeing a non-white family at the center of one of these family thrillers, and the elements of Indian traditions and food were wonderful additions. Sure, there were some twists that were a bit obvious, but really, that's par for the course with these books. Definitely worth a read.

This book will be published April 7, 2026.

Bootblack

 Bootblack by Mikaël (2022) 128 pages

I enjoyed the realistic art. Ultimately Al is a kid who is so patriotic, claiming his American-ness, that he turns his back on his immigrant parents. When they die and he ends up an orphan on the streets of New York City in the '20s, he becomes a bootblack with a gang of young friends. He develops a young crush. He further develops his hatred for newer immigrants. He moves money for organized crime families. He goes to prison then gets out just before WWII. All these stories are told as flashbacks from G.I. Al serving overseas in Germany. There are some details from his life that connect in unexpected ways, but fate is cruel and his life ends ironically.

So Shall You Reap

 

So Shall You Reap by Donna Leon 262 pp.

This is book #32 in the Commissrio Brunetti series, which means I only have one more to complete the series (until the author publishes a new one). On a November evening, Brunetti receives a late night call from Ispettore Vianello about a hand seen in one of the canals. Brunetti arrives and crews begin searching in the frigid water before finally finding the body of a man. The victim is a Sri Lankan immigrant that Brunetti met when inquiring about the possibility of a house being for sale. He discovers that the man worked for the owners of the house and was living in a small house in the garden there. Nobody seems to have much information about the man and what the police learn is mainly through the books and other ephemera found in the little house. With much research and memories from his college days he connects a scrapbook with an old political kidnapping. In this case Brunetti has a dog to thank for the final resolution of the crime(s).

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan, 308 pages

In 2014, teenaged Sana moves with her father into a decrepit old house that has been remodeled into decrepit apartments. The rest of the residents are elderly and have no idea (or any curiosity about) who lived in the house before, why it was built, or anything related to the sprawling manor's history. But Sana's curious enough to go exploring, and she slowly unravels the history of a young woman who lived there nearly a century before. 

Told in alternating timelines between Sana's present and the first years of the manor, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is a meditation on grief, love, jealousy, and being an outsider. It's a captivating story full of flawed characters and literal hauntings. I hesitate to say more, but I will heartily recommend the book. It's absolutely excellent.

Last Boat out of Shanghai

 Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia, 499 pgs. © 2019

Wow, what a book. I haven't really tapped into a whole lot of historical fiction but this book is of a very high academic caliber that really makes the time and place come alive. The author did extensive research and conducted hundreds of hours of interviews with the survivors that she details here. The book chronicles four children from Shanghai as their lives and families are forever impacted by the Japanese military and later, communist China. Each short chapter is dedicated to one of the four main characters, so it's a good idea to make notes in order to keep everyone's journey separate in your mind--so much happens to these young people that it makes you angry and heartbroken. I spent a lot of extra time Googling things I'd heard names of but had no idea what they were about--the Rape of Nanking, the grotesque practice of foot-binding--there's so much to draw from this book through the lives of the characters that it can be overwhelming. Their stories are true lives lived, who are part of the Chinese diaspora trying to seek shelter from war and seize on whatever opportunities they can to survive. Some make it out of China and head for America, earning degrees and starting businesses, finding love and starting over in a time of intense hostility towards Asian people. At the end of the book, we learn that Bing, kept the secret of being sold to a rich family and adopted for 70 years, telling her daughter Helen, who then turned that into this amazing work. It's a stellar piece of history and journalism that reads like a piece of fiction but was very, very real. This work concluded the Yiddish Book Center's Stories of Exile discussion book club. Highly recommended for adults. 

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova, 324 pages

Orquidea Divina summons her sprawling family tree to her rural home for her funeral, telling them that they need to come and collect their inheritance. However, when the dozens of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren arrive they learn that there's a lot more to their inheritance — and Orquidea's funeral — than they expected. In parallel storylines of Orquidea's past and her grandchildren's present, this enchanting tale weaves together a story of generational trauma, fitting in, magical realism, and coming to terms with one's heritage. This was my second read of the book, and I think I may have enjoyed it even more this time around. An excellent book, and an excellent discussion with Orcs & Aliens!

Plum Rains

Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax, 389 pages

In near-future Tokyo, Filipina nurse Angelica is struggling to make ends meet (and pay off the loan shark from whom she and her brother both borrowed) while caring for Sayoko, a cantankerous Japanese woman who is approaching her 100th birthday. Just ten days before the birthday celebration, however, Sayoko's son sends her a prototype caretaker robot, with whom Sayoko quickly bonds and to whom she begins telling decades-old secrets. Angelica is highly suspicious of this robot, who she fears is an attempt to replace her, but can't help admitting is helpful as a Sayoko-sitter while Angelica tries to sort out her own issues.

With its setting in 2029 and a focus on some very real issues from the past, present, and future — including the exploitation of "comfort women" during World War II, immigration, climate change, artificial intelligence, Japan's aging population, and our increasing reliance on technology — this book is an odd mix of science fiction and historical fiction. But it presents a lot to ruminate on, and I can't wait to discuss it with the Orcs & Aliens next week.

Not a Nation of Immigrants

Not a Nation of Immigrants: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2021) 400 pages

This book appeared on my radar after reading an article based on a speech given by the author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. The subtitle is very clear about the themes in this well-researched book. "'A nation of immigrants' was a mid-twentieth-century revisionist origin story." Each of the eight chapters are so packed with historical detail and critiques of interpretations of that history that are problematic that it feels as if you are reading eight different non-fiction books connected to the theme of correcting this revisionist origin story of America. We explore a critique of the popular musical Hamilton, the genesis of settler colonialism, the racial capitalism of slavery, the continental imperialism of manifest destiny, Irish settlers and policing, the efforts of Americanizing Columbus, the Western panic against Asian immigrants, and the history of aggression against Mexico. She wraps it up by discussing how actual refugees and immigrants are treated in our settler state, a place where white supremacy still holds a strong grip. It is a call for a more honest understanding of our American history.
 

Black Cake

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, 385 pages

When Eleanor Bennett died, she left her children Byron and Benny a Caribbean black cake and a long audio recording they had to listen to together. While this would be difficult for anyone who just lost their mother, it's particularly tough for them because Benny hasn't spoken to Byron (or anyone else in the family) since that fateful Thanksgiving many years ago, when she came out as bisexual. However, they do what they're told and listen to the recording, learning that their mother had a past that neither of them ever suspected, one that involved multiple identity changes and a secret child.

Through these characters and a narrative that bounces around in time, Wilkerson weaves a complex family history that spans continents and oceans, making the characters (and readers) question what we really know about those we love. This is a phenomenal debut novel, and I can't wait to see what Wilkerson does next.

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina

The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova, 324 pages

Orquidea Divina is an old woman with an expansive family and some serious roots in her western U.S. homestead. An immigrant from Ecuador, she was also an outcast from her mother's family who found solace in a traveling circus. Told in alternating chapters, this book tells of Orquidea's youth and the lives of three of her grandchildren, all of whom are bequeathed with flowers growing out of their bodies upon Orquidea's death.

This is a lovely magical tale of family, generational trauma, the immigrant experience, and transcendent love. Fans of magical realism and old circus stories will dig this.

Almost American Girl

 

Almost American Girl /Robin Ha 227 pgs.

Lots of us have troubles in our teen years.  Add to that an unexpected move from Seoul to Huntsville, Alabama where you understand about 20% of what everyone is saying.  Robin Ha had a heck of journey. Her hard working mom was always looking for a better life for them but that is tough for a young girl to see when she is ripped apart from her friends and the only life she knows.  In the end, it all worked out and she became an almost American girl. This is a lovely memoir with a lot of angst.

Black Water Sister

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho, 370 pages

Just before she and her parents move back to Malaysia after 20 years in the U.S., Jess begins hearing a voice inside her head, speaking to her in Hokkien. Once they make the journey, the voice only gets more insistent and nosy, which makes sense when Jess figures out that it's her late grandmother's spirit using her as an unwitting medium. Ah Ma's spirit is restless because a new condominium development is threatening a temple that is home to a vengeful goddess for which Ah Ma was a medium herself, and now it's Jess's turn to take up the fight, whether she wants to or not.

Full of Malaysian culture, religion, and food, this modern fantasy novel weaves together ancestral pain, the Malaysian mafia, and the awkwardness of being an unemployed college graduate still living with your parents. And it does it with plenty of humor and compassion. This is a fantastic book, and I look forward to reading more Zen Cho books in the future.

Queen of the Cicadas

Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro, 214 pages

In the 1950s, Milagros left her family in Mexico to be a migrant worker in Texas, hoping to earn some money to help them survive and eventually immigrate to the U.S. themselves. Instead, she met a horrific end and the cotton plantation where she died became the site of drought and brutal unexplained deaths, spawning an urban legend among Mexican-Americans. Half a century later, Belinda Alvarez visits the plantation and begins digging into Milagros' story, with stomach-churning and surprising results.

This is a fantastic mash-up of folklore, urban legend, and the foundation of a new feminist religion, though it's really hard to categorize because of that. It's horror, yes, but it's more than that. Really, this could have been a much longer book, with more details about Milagros and Belinda, and I would still have been captivated.

The last days of Ellis Island

 

The last days of Ellis Island / Gaelle Josse, 203 pages

It is the end of Ellis Island and John Mitchell has been there for a long time as an officer of the Bureau of Immigration. He lives on the island and has had a long career and life there. He was married briefly to a wonderful woman who was a nurse on the island but is now on his own. This book covers some of his memories and some of the events in his history. Although there were some enjoyable entries in this "diary like" book, there is also a casual situation where he basically admits to raping a woman who was there with her brother seeking asylum. Although he comes across as a compassionate and caring man, his behavior in that instance is inexplicable. Maybe common but certainly upsetting in the context of this book. Overall I don't know what to think about this book.

The Girl in the Painting

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper, 375 pages

Orphan Jane Piper has lived with siblings Michael and Elizabeth Quinn since she was a young girl and they learned of her advanced math capabilities. They arrived in Australia some 50 years earlier, penniless and with only their intelligence to get by, so they felt the need to help those in similar situations. Everything seems to be going swimmingly until Jane and Elizabeth visit a traveling exhibition that causes Elizabeth to suffer a panic attack. As Jane begins to search for clues to what triggered the attack, Elizabeth begins to suspect that she doesn't know herself nearly as well as she thought she did.

This was an excellent, well-woven mystery that sheds light on the immigration situation at the turn of the 19th Century, as well as the Australian gold rush and other elements. I particularly enjoyed seeing strong female characters fighting against the status quo in everyday ways. A fun, propulsive story.

In the Garden of Spite

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce, 465 pages

When she was a teen in Norway, Little Brunhilde was brutally beaten by a man who had impregnated her. Since she was a servant at his fancy home, she had little chance for retribution. Except, that is, to slowly poison him to death, which she did while waiting to immigrate to America. Once she arrived with her kind sister Nellie (formerly Big Brunhilde), Little Brunhilde renamed herself Belle and hoped for a fresh new start with a wealthy Christian man. Unfortunately, he didn't live up to her standards, and she returned to her old method of dealing with unpleasant men. And then, well, she developed something of a taste for murder, though she convinced her foster children and her sister that all was well, despite their suspicions.

I absolutely loved Bruce's chilling and haunting You Let Me In, and was hoping for a similar atmospheric creepfest here. Unfortunately, the attempt at providing empathy for the actual real-life serial killer Belle Gunness falls flat for me. Instead, it comes across as a justification for her cruelty and the gaslighting of her sister. It was chilling, yes, but with the slow dreadful march toward the inevitable finish, this wasn't quite the historical thriller I thought it might be.

Nights when nothing happned

 Nights when nothing happened / Simon Han, 262 pgs.

The Cheng family seems successful from the outside.  The parents immigrated from China then brought their son...a daughter was born a bit later.  In the end, the Chinese origin story seems minor compared to the inner workings of the family and the struggles that each endures apart from the others.  When Annabel has a friend over for a Thanksgiving gathering, a series of misunderstandings lead to the belief that she has experienced a "bad touch" and soon her father is under investigation.  The relationships of the 4 family members leave doubt about who is guilty of what...they seem to have very little trust in each other and are struggling with their own internal demons.  It takes this bigger event to move them towards a reckoning with their own struggles.  Is it a dysfunctional family or a group of dysfunctional individuals?  Who cares?  This is my sweet spot!

Ship of Fates

Ship of Fates by Caitlin Chung, 127 pages

A couple of millennia ago, a young woman fled from an arranged marriage with the gold that was to be her dowry. She sailed across the Pacific Ocean and landed in California, spreading the gold throughout the land. But she later found she was cursed to live forever in a lighthouse until she regathered all of the gold to return to her family. Ship of Fates is that young woman's story, and the story of how she tried to reverse her curse, despite the complications presented by the California gold rush. It's an intriguing novella, presented as the young woman's story punctuated by second person bits about "you" listening to her tell it. I'm not sure what I thought of that bit, though I did enjoy the lessons of the young woman's tale.

How to pronounce knife

How to pronounce knife / Thammavongsa, Souvankham, read by James Tang & Kulap Vilaysack 181 pgs.

A great collection of stories featuring mostly Laotian immigrants in an unnamed city. Some are struggling, some ok.  I particularly liked the stories that featured parents and children...The children in school and the parents having never been. There is a disconnect between these newly educated youngsters.  Particularly moving was the mother and daughter who put together a puzzle of the world and the mother warning the daughter to be careful if she ever gets close to the edge because it is not safe.  The elementary school daughter informs her mother that the earth is round and it is a slap in the face to the mother.  The title story features a father and a young child.  The father is the only one in the family who can read so the child goes to him to learn the word knife - later in school when the child learns the k is silent, she decides she can not tell her father.  She doesn't really understand it herself, the k is right there in front.  It is a lovely story along with many others here.