Describe your latest book.
Sour Heart is a collection of seven linked short stories narrated by young Chinese-American girls living in New York City in the 90s. It’s exceptionally hard to describe what I’ve written without sounding delusional or boring, so I’ll just say they are stories about growing up, and the pleasures and agonies of having a family, a body, and a home.
What was your favorite book as a child?
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, because the protagonist is described in the beginning as a “sour” and “disagreeable” girl; the
Wayside School series by Louis Sachar, because they are so weird and experimental; and all the
Sweet Valley and
Baby-Sitters Club books because it was comforting to sink into those totally far-fetched tropes of girlhood...