Harper Perennial, Reprint Edition; 2015

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“Lucky girl,” begins this dazzling debut novel. Ari, 18, was adopted from China by a single Chinese-American lawyer. Growing up with her highly educated mother, aunt, and Gran, Ari constantly heard that it must have been “easier” for her, having a Chinese family. But she must journey to China and then to Alaska, on what the NYT called a “gap year from hell” in its review, before coming to terms with her family and identity.