From a prizewinning young literary talent come these ten gripping tales about the intimate, often bittersweet experiences of immigrants and their American-born children as they negotiate the divide between Eastern and Western cultures: struggles to honor one's personal history or to break free of the weight of the past, to find permanence amid the flux of modern life, and to form lasting ties even while holding on to secrets kept in plain sight.

In the stunning title story, Henry Liu, convinced that he is dying, receives a second lease on life. In "Garden City," a weary Chinese couple, struggling to evict their deadbeat tenant, find themselves forced to confront the aftermath of their teenage son's death. And in "The Old Gentleman," a woman becomes alienated from her father when he finds love-or what he thinks could be love-in his old age.

This powerful debut collection-reminiscent of acclaimed works by Gish Jen, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lara Vapnyar-showcases Frances Hwang's myriad gifts as a storyteller as it announces the arrival of an exciting new voice in American fiction.