If you enjoy reading books by Weina Dai Randel then you might also like the following authors:
Lisa See is an author who often writes stories about family, history, and cultural connections. Her novel “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” takes you into 19th-century China, where two girls, Snow Flower and Lily, are paired as lifelong friends through an old tradition.
They communicate through a secret code written on a fan, sharing their lives, struggles, and bonds in a time when women’s voices were often silenced. This book brings readers into a world shaped by tradition and deep personal ties.
Amy Tan is an author known for exploring the lives of Chinese-American families. Her novel “The Joy Luck Club” tells the story of four immigrant women and their daughters, spanning two generations. The mothers form a mahjong group where they share their past struggles.
The daughters, raised in America, often misunderstand their mothers’ traditions and sacrifices. As their stories unfold, the deep connections between the mothers and daughters come to light.
The book offers a window into themes of family, heritage, and the bonds that shape identity.
Yangsze Choo writes historical fiction with a touch of the mystical. Her novel, “The Ghost Bride,” is set in 1890s Malaya and follows a young woman named Li Lan, who is offered the chance to improve her family’s fortunes by becoming a ghost bride to a wealthy family’s dead son.
The story weaves traditional Chinese beliefs with a vivid world of the afterlife. Li Lan’s journey takes her into both the opulent lives of the living and the strange, shadowy realms of the dead.
Pearl S. Buck was an author who spent much of her life in China and wrote stories that bring its culture and people to life. One of her most famous works, “The Good Earth,” tells the story of Wang Lung, a poor farmer striving to create a better life for his family.
The book follows his journey as he builds wealth and faces the challenges that come with success. It paints a vivid picture of rural China, showing the struggles of survival, family bonds, and how fortune can change lives.
Her writing is heartfelt and rooted in human experience, making her stories deeply relatable.
Min Jin Lee is a writer who tells powerful stories about identity, family, and resilience. Her book, “Pachinko,” follows four generations of a Korean family who move to Japan in the early 1900s.
The story begins with Sunja, a young woman who sacrifices her own happiness to protect her family. Through their struggles with discrimination, poverty, and loyalty, the family’s journey reveals the deep bonds that hold them together. It’s a story rich with history and emotion.
Eileen Chang was a Chinese author known for her keen observations of love and human behavior. Her book “Love in a Fallen City” tells the story of Bai Liusu, a divorced woman struggling to find her place in Shanghai society.
After her failed marriage, she meets Fan Liuyuan, a wealthy suitor with his own share of emotional baggage. Their relationship unfolds against the backdrop of war, and the shifting power dynamics between them create a fascinating tension.
The story showcases Chang’s ability to explore relationships without sugarcoating them, capturing both vulnerability and resilience in her characters.
Vanessa Hua is an author known for stories that explore migration, identity, and the ties between generations. Her novel “A River of Stars” follows Scarlett Chen, a pregnant Chinese woman sent to America to give birth at a secret maternity center.
When she discovers secrets about the man she thought she could trust, she decides to run, determined to protect her future. The story offers a mix of heartfelt struggles and unexpected twists, giving a glimpse into the sacrifices people make for the chance at something better.
Gail Tsukiyama writes beautiful, character-driven novels that often explore family, history, and identity. One of her standout works is “The Samurai’s Garden.”
It’s about a young Chinese man named Stephen sent to a quiet Japanese village to recover from tuberculosis in the late 1930s. While there, he forms a friendship with Matsu, the house caretaker, who tends a lush garden and hides deep personal pain.
Their bond unfolds against the backdrop of war, showing how small acts of kindness can bridge cultural divides. The story feels intimate yet layered, with moments that are both peaceful and haunting.
Jean Kwok writes stories that are grounded in her own experiences as an immigrant, offering a unique perspective on family and identity. In her book “Girl in Translation,” she tells the story of Kimberly Chang, a young girl who moves from Hong Kong to Brooklyn with her mother.
They face tough challenges, from living in a run-down apartment to working long hours in a sweatshop. Kimberly’s journey to balance her life as a top student in a privileged school and her role in helping her family survive is both heartfelt and powerful.
The book gives readers a vivid sense of what it’s like to navigate two very different worlds.
Anchee Min is an author who writes historical fiction that brings to life vivid characters and dramatic periods in Chinese history. Her book, “The Last Empress,” tells the story of Empress Dowager Cixi, a powerful woman who ruled China during its collapse.
Min portrays Cixi as a clever and resourceful leader, navigating court politics, foreign invasions, and rebellion. The book offers a close look at her struggles to maintain power while protecting her son and her country.
Min’s writing captures the tension and heartbreak behind the scenes of a crumbling empire.
Adeline Yen Mah is a Chinese-American author known for her heartfelt storytelling rooted in her personal experiences. One of her most notable books, “Falling Leaves,” is a memoir that traces her early life growing up in a wealthy but deeply unhappy family in China.
The story moves through her childhood, marred by neglect and cruelty, to her eventual journey of finding a sense of self and belonging.
It offers a raw and emotional look at family dynamics, tradition, and resilience during a time when China was undergoing massive social and political change.
Julia Gregson is a novelist known for her richly detailed historical fiction. Her book, “East of the Sun,” tells the story of three young women traveling on a ship from England to India in 1928.
Rose is headed to marry a man she barely knows, Victoria dreams of adventure and romance, and Viva, the chaperone, has her own hidden reasons for taking the journey.
The book captures the lush and vibrant atmosphere of India, weaving in the cultural shifts and personal struggles the characters face as they carve out their paths in an unfamiliar world.
Tan Twan Eng is a writer known for exploring history and memory through elegant, heartfelt storytelling. In his novel “The Garden of Evening Mists,” the story unfolds in post-World War II Malaya, where a woman named Yun Ling seeks solace in the highlands.
She apprentices with a Japanese gardener to create a memorial for her sister, uncovering beauty and loss in surprising ways. The book paints vivid scenes of a damaged world, showing how people try to rebuild their lives after tragedy.
Rani Manicka is an author known for weaving rich family stories that explore themes of culture, identity, and resilience. Her novel, “The Rice Mother,” follows Lakshmi, a fifteen-year-old girl forced into an arranged marriage with a much older man.
Set in Malaysia, the story spans generations, uncovering secrets and the sacrifices made by a family navigating love, loss, and betrayal.
Lakshmi, a headstrong and resourceful woman, holds her family together through war and hardship, but her unwavering strength comes at a cost, leaving marks on her children and grandchildren.
The book paints a vivid picture of familial bonds and the long shadows the past can cast.
Shan Sa is a French-Chinese author known for blending history with deeply personal stories. Her book, “The Girl Who Played Go,” takes place during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria. It follows a teenage girl who loves playing the ancient game of Go in a town square.
She meets a young Japanese soldier, and both find their lives unexpectedly intertwined. Each chapter alternates between their perspectives, giving a view into their thoughts as war looms over them.
The story captures how their lives change through their quiet interactions over the game board.