Yiyun Li

A collection by the author of The Vagrants brings to life the rich levels of Chinese-American and Chinese experience in stories like "Prison," in which a Chinese-American woman travels to rural China to choose a surrogate mother for her child.

Gold Boy, Emerald Girl

Chiyeung lau

Oh man, where do I start? This collection blew me away with its beautiful yet simple prose. Stories like Kindness and Gold Boy, Emerald Girl were very reminiscent of Ishiguro; they were reflective pieces that explored the loneliness of life, yet they were delicately balanced by Yiyun so that some semblance of hope and love was still present.

One of my many favorite lines in the book: “They were lonely and sad people, all three of them, and they would not make one another less sad, but they could, with great care, make a world that would accommodate their loneliness.”

My favorite stories in this collection were: Kindness, Souvenir, Sweeping and Gold Boy, Emerald Girl.

雪 xue

i have mixed feelings about this short story collection. on one hand, the novella "kindness" is one of the best stories I've ever read in my life. but the rest of the stories fell short, had unsatisfying conclusions that all ended with indistinguishable climaxes, or were simply not as compelling. with that being said, each story was an enjoyable read. it feels wrong to give this book 3 stars because "kindness" was so perfect that i feel it transcends the disappointment of its successors

A collection of stories brings to life the rich levels of Chinese-American and Chinese experience in stories like "Prison," in which a Chinese-American woman travels to rural China to choose a surrogate mother for her child.

Gold Boy, Emerald Girl

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