Chang-rae Lee is a celebrated Korean American novelist whose works delve deeply into themes of identity, alienation, and the search for belonging. His narrative style is recognized for its introspective depth and exploration of complex human relationships. Lee's novels often examine immigrant experiences and the generational struggles of navigating between disparate cultures and worlds. His distinct perspective offers readers a compelling look into modern life and the intricacies of the human spirit.
"From the award-winning author of NATIVE SPEAKER and ON SUCH A FULL SEA, a brilliant, exuberant and entertaining story of a young American whose life is transformed when a Chinese-American businessman suddenly takes him under his wing on a global adventure"-- Provided by publisher
From the award-winning author of Native Speaker and The Surrendered comes a provocative tale of one woman's quest in a shocking future America. This story showcases Chang-rae Lee's elegant prose and masterful storytelling, exploring themes of identity, culture, work, and love in a newly imagined world. Set in a long-declining America, society is rigidly divided by class, with abandoned urban areas transformed into high-walled labor colonies. The labor class, descendants of those brought from environmentally ruined China, find purpose in providing pristine produce and fish to elite charter villages surrounding their settlement. In this society lives Fan, a fish-tank diver who leaves her home in the B-Mor settlement (formerly Baltimore) when her beloved mysteriously vanishes. Her journey to find him leads her beyond the safety of B-Mor into the anarchic Open Counties, characterized by rampant crime and minimal government oversight. As she travels to a distant charter village, her quest evolves into a legendary tale for those she leaves behind, challenging readers to reconsider their perceptions of the world.
June Han was only a girl when the Korean War left her orphaned; Hector Brennan was a young GI who fled the petty tragedies of his small town to serve his country.
Overgave is een verbijsterende roman over hoe levens door liefde en oorlog onherstelbaar veranderen. Het verhaal voert ons snel heen en weer in de tijd, van Korea naar New Jersey, naar Mantsjoerije en Italië. June Han is nog maar een jong meisje als de oorlog in Korea haar tot wees maakt; Hector Brennan is een jonge Amerikaanse soldaat die de kleingeestige drama’s van zijn stadje is ontvlucht om zijn land te dienen. Als de oorlog is afgelopen komen hun levens samen in een Koreaans weeshuis waar ze beiden naar de gunsten van Sylvie Tanner dingen, de mooie maar ernstig getraumatiseerde domineesvrouw, wier onvatbare liefde alles op losse schroeven zet. Pas dertig jaar later worden June en Hector aan de andere kant van de wereld tot elkaar veroordeeld en moeten ze de mysterieuze geheimen van hun verleden, de schokkende daden van liefde en geweld die hen verbinden, onder ogen zien. Overgave is schitterend, bloedstollend en onvergetelijk: een diepzinnige bespiegeling over het wezen van heldenmoed en opoffering, de kracht van de liefde, en de mogelijkheden tot genade en verlossing.
Being a solo flyer made sense to Jerry Battle right from the start. For his 56th birthday, his longtime (and recently ex-) girlfriend Rita Reyes had given him a gift certificate for a flying lesson. Once Jerry was up there he thought everything looked perfect. But everything isn't perfect and for such a nice guy, Jerry could wreak an amazing amount of havoc ... Life is about to deal Jerry Battle his toughest hand yet. With his ailing father yearning to flee his Care Centre and his son teetering on bankruptcy, and, for once, no woman in his life to rely on, Jerry's daughter is about to bestow on him a father's worst nightmare. But maybe Jerry Battle needs to finally work out what it is that separates him from his loved ones and be tugged back to earth to engage with his family.
A Gesture Life is a haunting, compelling exploration of the Japanese experience of the Second World War, and the fate of their 'comfort women'.
Native Speaker is a story about a detective. It is also a wise and compassionate novel about the immigrant experience, about love, loyalty and the languages that define us.‘What makes Native Speaker an important novel is no more complicated than this: it tells us the truth. Lee writes in a voice free of political bias about race fears... He writers of the fear of dilution, or self-loss... After so much racist posing, so much false restraint, Native speaker seems like a new kind of novel, the plainsong of unassimilated man, and in the murmur of his nascent voice is the soft clash of borders.’ Literary Review
