Asian American & Pacific Islander Literature

In May, we celebrate the vital contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Explore this collection to find texts related to AAPI history and culture, including works by Ted Chiang, C Pam Zhang, and Ha Jin, among others.

Prairie Lotus

by Linda Sue Park

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Coming of Age, Community, Race, Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Perseverance, Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Race & Racism, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, World History, Arts & Culture

... Read Prairie Lotus Summary

Prodigy

by Marie Lu

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Love, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Prodigy (2013) is the second installment in the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu. In this young adult series set in a dystopian future, the United States is divided into two warring nations, the Republic and the Colonies. Prodigy follows the first-person perspectives of two teen protagonists first introduced in Legend (2011), June and Day, as they join a rebel group called the Patriots in hopes of overthrowing the corrupt government. As they work to take... Read Prodigy Summary

P.S. I Still Love You

by Jenny Han

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Childhood & Youth, Love

Tags Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

P.S. I Still Love You is a young adult novel by Jenny Han, published by Scholastic in 2015. It is a sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, published in 2014. The two books share the same main character and narrator, Lara Jean Song Covey, a Korean-American teenaged girl. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before concerns Lara Jean’s habit of writing secret love letters to boys she’s had crushes on, and P.S. I... Read P.S. I Still Love You Summary

Reading with Patrick

by Michelle Kuo

Publication year 2017

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Justice

Tags Race & Racism, Education, Education, Biography

Michelle Kuo’s memoir, Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship, was published in 2017 to high acclaim. Kuo has won numerous fellowships and awards for her work in teaching, writing, and law. In addition to her memoir, she has also published essays and articles. She is currently an associate professor at American University in Paris where, since 2015, she has taught in its History, Law, and Society department.In the mid-2000s, Michelle... Read Reading with Patrick Summary

Red Azalea

by Anchee Min

Publication year 1994

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Coming of Age, Sexual Identity

Tags Asian Literature, World History, Chinese Literature, Biography, Asian Literature, Asian History

First published in 1994, Anchee Min’s Red Azalea has won a fair bit of acclaim. It was named a New York Times Notable Book and also won the 1993 Carl Sandburg Literary Award in 1993. As a genre-defying blend of autobiography, memoir, and novel, Red Azalea focuses on the struggle to gain freedom and individual identity amid state-sponsored oppression. As the sole narrator of the novel, Min depicts her own views of the Cultural Revolution... Read Red Azalea Summary

Red City

by Marie Lu

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Regret, Race, Coming of Age, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy

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Rich People Problems

by Kevin Kwan

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Romance, Satirical Literature, Asian Literature

Rich People Problems, a contemporary romantic comedy of manners, was published in 2017. It is the third and final book in Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy, which includes the first installment, the eponymous Crazy Rich Asians (2013), and the second, China Rich Girlfriend (2015). Crazy Rich Asians was adapted into a film, released in 2018 and starring Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh. The film was a box-office success.Plot SummaryRich People Problems opens with the... Read Rich People Problems Summary

Rooftops of Tehran

by Mahbod Seraji

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Colonialism, Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Middle Eastern Literature, World History, Arts & Culture

Rooftops of Tehran (2009) is a historical fiction novel written by Iranian-American writer Mahbod Seraji. It follows a 17-year-old boy, Pasha, and his friends as they come of age during an era of political oppression and turmoil in Iran. The novel was selected as one of the books in the Outstanding Debut Category by the American Booksellers Association, and it was one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s 50 Notable Books of the Bay Area. Rooftops... Read Rooftops of Tehran Summary

Secret Coders

by Gene Luen Yang

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Perseverance, Loneliness, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction

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Secret Daughter

by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Daughters & Sons, Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Parenting, Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Arts & Culture

Secret Daughter (2010) is the debut novel of Canadian-Indian author Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Spanning twenty years, it follows two families who are mysteriously connected by an adopted daughter. A New York Times Bestseller, the novel has been translated into more than thirty languages and has sold more than a million copies. Godwa formed the idea for Secret Daughter while volunteering at an Indian orphanage as an undergraduate. Secret Daughter received much critical praise for its... Read Secret Daughter Summary

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

by Nabeel Qureshi

Publication year 2014

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Christian

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity (2014) is a book of memoir and apologetics, written by Pakistani American author Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017). It recounts his intellectual and spiritual journey from his Muslim childhood to an eventual embrace of Christian belief in his early adulthood. The book explores The Emotional and Relational Costs of Religious Conversion, The Balance of Intellectual Arguments and Spiritual Experience, Friendship as a Catalyst for Spiritual Transformation, and The... Read Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Summary