Taipei Story

For Lily, mastering Chinese means connection:

To her family

Her heritage

To herself

But what if waiting for perfection means it's too late to get the answers she wants most?

The electrifying new novel from literary phenomenon, Rebecca F. Kuang,

Yale student Lily Chen arrives in Taipei hungry: for family, for culture, for connection.

But her summer of discovery quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate unbearable, and a reckless, deeply awkward trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon ignites vicious gossip.

Then her grandfather dies.

Grieving and adrift, Lily must confront her own questions about the culture she inherited but never fully understood. She embarks on a wryly funny, often devastating search for understanding: of herself, her family, and the meaning of home.

All over one unforgettable summer in Taipei.

A flood of five star reader reviews:

'As an immigrant myself, this book resonated with me on a very personal level… That feeling of expressing yourself differently, or never quite sounding like you, was captured perfectly… Kuang also brings Taipei vividly to life… It left me reflecting long after I finished' Reader Review

'I found this tale of culture and identity to be outstanding in every way' Reader Review

'It was just a joy to read and experience the writing. I have so much love for this novel' Reader Review

'It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of living in a foreign country and trying to learn the language' Reader Review

'Kuang is masterful with her words, insightful with her history and absolutely delightful with the gravity of her worlds' Reader Review

• Format: Paperback / softback
• Pages: 320
• Imprint: Borough Press GB
• Supplier: Harper Entertainment Distribution Services
• Subjects: Code FIC019000 (scheme 10), Code FA (scheme 12), Code FBA (scheme 93), Code FIC043000 (scheme 10), Code FIC045030 (scheme 10), Code FIC054000 (scheme 10), Code FS (scheme 93), Code FXL (scheme 93), Code FXN (scheme 93), pre-order;next;up-coming;top;latest;new;best;paperback;adult;novel;stories;books;releases;bestseller;bestsellers;selling;list;in;preorder;pre;order;this;year;2026;2025;uk;paperbacks;book;gift;gifts;present;presents;ideas;deal;deals;novels;Hardback;adults;popular;Taiwan;student;university;Yale;past;relationships;grandfather;grandparents;bereavement;discovery;emotional;heartbreak;diaspora;coming-of-age;culture;immigrant;experience;friendship;beach;read;summer;college;by;Sally Rooney;Elif Batuman;Patricia Lockwood;Coco Mellors;Naoise Dolan;Tash Aw;Ocean Vuong;Intermezzo;Yellowface;Katabasis;Babel;Poppy War;The Idiot;Either/Or;No One Is Talking About This;Cleopatra and Frankenstein;Blue Sisters;Conversations with Friends;Exciting Times;Crying in H Mart;