The Wangs vs. the World

"The setup for Jade Chang’s debut novel, The Wangs vs. the World, is so rich in conflict and pathos, it’s hard to realize at first that it’s a comedy. Not that she takes too long to get the hilarity rolling. Revolving around a Chinese-American family on a cross-country roadtrip after losing its fortune in the crash of 2008, the book pulls no tragicomic punches as it re-imagines the immigrant experience — and the American experience — as a 75-mile-per-hour parade of humor, heartbreak and soul-deep revelation."

"Jade Chang because The Wangs vs. the World should have won a National Book Award. It is funny and touching and achingly poignant."