Amid Clouds And Bones Characters

Under Fishbone Clouds

“An unlikely love story set against the events of the last half-century in China . . . a poetic evocation of the country and its people.” —The New York Times When the Kitchen God is challenged by the Jade Emperor to fathom the workings of the human heart, he chooses to trace the lives of Jinyi and his wife, Yuying, from their blossoming love until their old age, in hope of finding an answer. The Kitchen God watches as government strictures split their family in two, living inside their hearts as they endure the losses of two children, homesickness, and isolation—all while keeping alive a love that survives famine, forced labor, and even death. Under Fishbone Clouds is a universal romance, a family saga, and a journey through Chinese history, myth, and culture. Following a young couple as their love grows and is tested during Mao’s Cultural Revolution, this elegant debut novel provides a rare and personal glimpse into the birth of modern China. “A powerful and mesmerizing novel, both mythic and intimate. . . . a masterful accomplishment of imagination, insight, and lyricism.” —Amy Tan, New York Times–bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club

The Parochial and Family History of the Deanery of Trigg Minor, in the County of Cornwall

Onion Tears

Khadeejah is a hard-working and stubborn first-generation Indian woman who longs for her beloved homeland and often questions what she is doing on the tip of Africa. At 37, her daughter Summaya is struggling to reconcile her South African and Indian identities, while Summaya’s own daughter, eleven-year-old Aneesa, is a girl who has some difficult questions of her own. Is her mother lying to her about her father’s death? Why won’t she tell her what really happened? Gradually, the past merges with the present as the novel meanders through their lives, uncovering the secrets people keep, the words they swallow, and the emotions they elect to mute. For this family, faintly detectable through the sharp spicy aromas that find their way out of Khadeejah’s kitchen, the scent of tragedy is always threatening. Eventually, it will bring this family together. If not, it will tear them apart.