Alexandra Chang's work delves into the complexities of identity and belonging. Her prose is characterized by an introspective and lyrical quality that draws readers into the heart of human experience. Through her writing, Chang masterfully explores the intricacies of family dynamics and cultural heritage. Her unique voice offers profound insights into the search for connection and self-discovery.
The plan is to leave. As for how, when, to where, and even why - she doesn't know yet. So begins a journey for the twenty-four-year-old narrator. As a staff writer at a prestigious tech publication, she reports on the achievements of smug Silicon Valley billionaires and start-up bros while her own request for a raise gets bumped.
A playful and deeply affective short story collection about the histories, technologies, and generational divides that shape our relationships--from the award-winning writer of Days of Distraction Compelling and perceptive, Tomb Sweeping probes the loyalties we hold: to relatives, to strangers, and to ourselves. In stories set across the US and Asia, Alexandra Chang immerses us in the lives of immigrant families, grocery store employees, expecting parents, and guileless lab assistants. A woman known only to her neighbors as "the Asian recycling lady" collects bottles from the streets she calls home. A young college grad ponders the void left from a broken friendship. An unfulfilled housewife in Shanghai finds a secret outlet for her ambitions in an undercover gambling den. Two strangers become something more through the bond of mistaken identity. These characters, adeptly attuned to the mystery of living, invite us to consider whether it is possible for anyone to entirely do right by another. Tomb Sweeping brims with remarkable skill and talent in every story, keeping a definitive pulse on loss, community, and what it means to feel fully alive. With her debut story collection, Chang further establishes herself as "a writer to watch" (New York Times Book Review).