The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

Anna Chiu is the eldest daughter of Chinese immigrants in Australia. While struggling with her school work, she carries the burden of caring for her two lyounger siblings, Lily and Michael as well as caring for her mentally ill mother. Anna's relationship with her mother becomes incresasingly strained as she is conflicted with being a perfect Chinese daughter and protecting her siblings from her mother's mood swings. Anna's life starts to change when she starts to help hshe meets her dad out at their restaurant where she meets a boy named Rory. As Rory helps Anna better understand mental struggles of her mother better, she forms a
meaningful relationship with him. After a phsycotic episode at the restaurant, Anna's mother ends at the mental ward, bringing to the forefront the issues of their family that they all wish to avoid. It is a story of a familier collective struggle with mental heath and the intersection of immigrant life.
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling" explores the intersection between immigrant life and mental health. It is a touching story of one girl's struggles balancing family duty and personal freedom. Although only 323 pages long, it captures a vast range of emotions and experiences, from understandable to complex, a true deep dive into the lives of one family. The prose may be simple but the message is deeper and it made me cry.