The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Depression
3.9
Wai Chim
An authentic novel about growing up in an Asian immigrant family with a mother who is suffering from a debilitating mental illness.Anna Chiu has her hands full. When she's not looking after her brother and sister or helping out at her father's restaurant, she's taking care of her mother, whose debilitating mental illness keeps her in bed most days. Her father's new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren't right at home, she's starting to feel like she could be a normal teen.But when her mother finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as her mother's condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling is a heart-wrenching, true-to-life exploration through the often neglected crevices of culture, mental illness, and family. Its strong themes are balanced by a beautiful romance making it a feel-good, yet important read.
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More Details:
Author
Wai Chim
Pages
336
Publisher
Scholastic Inc.
Published Date
2020-11-10
ISBN
1338656120 9781338656121
Community ReviewsSee all
"This book is crazy emotional. So surprising and entertaining! If you have not read this, better put this book on your reading list!"
alessia <33
"Looks intriguing "
julie mankata
"It is so important, especially in today’s day and age for books in all genres to talk more openly about mental illness. It’s extra special to read about it in the YA and Middle Grade genres. So kids, and young adults know that it’s ok to talk about it, it’s ok to live through it, or with it. More importantly that there is help out there for us. <br/><br/>The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling caused all the feels, good feels, sad feels, and feels of self analysis.<br/><br/>You’ll find a strong representation of family values, culture, and the strength of finding yourself. With a bit of romance, that could rub some the wrong way, with the age difference, BUT would we see it differently if she was 26 and he was 30? No not really. So it didn’t really bother me. I took more than that away. It’s a story you’ll be glad you read, and i highly recommend it."
Ellie
