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15 Authors like Lisa Ko

If you enjoy reading books by Lisa Ko then you might also like the following authors:

  1. Celeste Ng

    If you enjoyed Lisa Ko's thoughtful exploration of family dynamics and identity, Celeste Ng may resonate deeply with you. Her writing is emotionally insightful and carefully examines complex family relationships, secrets, and cultural pressure.

    In Little Fires Everywhere, she portrays how the lives of two families intersect and unravel in unexpected ways, raising questions about motherhood, race, and privilege.

  2. Min Jin Lee

    Fans of Lisa Ko's storytelling on immigrant experiences might appreciate Min Jin Lee's narrative style. Lee vividly captures the struggles, ambitions, heartbreak, and resilience across generations.

    Her novel Pachinko follows a Korean family as they navigate poverty, prejudice, and survival in 20th-century Japan, carefully highlighting themes of identity, displacement, and family legacy.

  3. Yaa Gyasi

    If you like how Lisa Ko skillfully examines the impacts of family history and cultural identity, Yaa Gyasi may also interest you. Her writing combines historical depth with powerful emotional storytelling.

    In Homegoing, Gyasi traces the stories of two sisters separated by slavery, showing how their experiences ripple across generations in Ghana and America, exploring race, trauma, and belonging along the way.

  4. Viet Thanh Nguyen

    Lisa Ko's insightful portrayal of immigration stories finds a literary companion in Viet Thanh Nguyen. Nguyen's writing tackles identity, displacement, and cultural conflict through sharp, satirical storytelling and powerful narratives.

    His novel The Sympathizer presents a Vietnamese refugee's complex life as a spy caught between two worlds in America and Vietnam, forcing readers to confront questions about loyalty, identity, and perspective.

  5. Jhumpa Lahiri

    Readers drawn to Lisa Ko's sensitive portrayals of immigrant families will also appreciate Jhumpa Lahiri. Lahiri writes beautifully quiet and insightful narratives spotlighting the feelings of isolation, family tensions, and layered identity of immigrants.

    Her novel The Namesake follows Gogol Ganguli, a son of Indian immigrants, as he navigates the conflicts between his Bengali heritage and American upbringing, exploring themes of family, cultural identity, and self-discovery.

  6. Ocean Vuong

    Ocean Vuong writes about family, memory, immigration, and identity with poetic precision. His language is deeply lyrical and emotional, capturing complex layers of personal and cultural history.

    His novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous explores love, trauma, and immigrant relationships through a heartfelt letter from a young man to his mother.

    If you enjoy Lisa Ko's tender exploration of family and identity, Vuong's distinctive style and emotional depth may resonate with you.

  7. Charles Yu

    Charles Yu blends humor, satire, and emotional insight into stories about the Asian American experience and identity. His inventive writing style plays with literary form and convention, creating thoughtful yet entertaining narratives.

    His novel Interior Chinatown, which tackles racial stereotypes and identity through a clever script-like structure, offers a playful but significant exploration of belonging that might appeal to Lisa Ko fans.

  8. Alexander Chee

    Alexander Chee writes with elegant clarity about themes of identity, sexuality, and personal history, often illuminating historical contexts through deeply personal narratives.

    His novel The Queen of the Night blends historical fiction with emotionally rich storytelling, centering on an opera singer’s dramatic journey through art and self-discovery.

    Readers drawn to Lisa Ko's introspective characters and lyrical storytelling will find much to appreciate in Chee's work.

  9. Weike Wang

    Weike Wang offers an understated style that balances subtle humor with emotional nuance. Her writing centers on personal identity, family expectations, and the challenges of cultural assimilation.

    Her novel Chemistry follows a thoughtful and perceptive Chinese American graduate student wrestling with life's expectations and her own ambitions. Fans of Lisa Ko's focus on characters navigating personal and cultural conflicts will find Wang's work similarly engaging.

  10. Kawai Strong Washburn

    Kawai Strong Washburn writes vividly about family, connection to place, and mythology within rich cultural frameworks. His style combines realistic portrayals of family dynamics with subtle magical realism rooted in Hawaiian tradition.

    In his novel Sharks in the Time of Saviors, Washburn tells the story of a Hawaiian family wrestling with poverty, identity, and ancestral legacy through gorgeously rendered prose.

    Readers moved by Lisa Ko's recognition of complex family relationships and the weight of heritage might find Washburn similarly captivating.

  11. Jean Kwok

    Jean Kwok writes personal stories focusing on immigration, family, identity, and the challenges immigrants face when adapting to new cultures. Her clear, heartfelt prose draws readers in with emotional honesty.

    In her novel Girl in Translation, she portrays a young girl's struggle balancing life at home with pressure to succeed at school, realistically capturing the immigrant experience with depth and sensitivity.

  12. Nicole Chung

    Nicole Chung's writing brings readers thoughtful insights about adoption, family, and cultural identity. With clarity and a warm, reflective voice, she finds deep meaning in personal experiences.

    Her memoir, All You Can Ever Know, explores her own adoption, Korean-American identity, and what it means to grow up in a family that differs in race and culture from you.

  13. Ling Ma

    Ling Ma blends dark humor, social commentary, and sharp observations about identity and belonging in her stories.

    Her debut novel Severance explores the themes of immigration, corporate culture, and consumerism through Candace Chen, a Chinese-American woman navigating a mysterious global pandemic. Her writing is both insightful and entertaining.

  14. Vanessa Hua

    Vanessa Hua creates characters who grapple with displacement, family expectations, and their own identities. Through warmly drawn narratives and vivid prose, her writing explores personal journeys within larger social contexts.

    Her novel A River of Stars presents a moving story of a Chinese woman navigating unexpected motherhood, immigration struggles, and self-discovery in modern America.

  15. Megha Majumdar

    Megha Majumdar creates powerful stories dealing with social injustice, class divisions, and ambition. Her concise and vivid storytelling shows empathy for her characters' struggles, exploring complex political realities in India.

    Her debut novel, A Burning, follows interconnected lives impacted after a terrorist attack, illustrating themes of corruption, discrimination, and the fragile pursuit of hope.