{"product_id":"homeseeking-a-gma-book-club-pick-isbn-9780593713013","title":"Homeseeking: A GMA Book Club Pick","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eGOOD MORNING AMERICA\u003c\/i\u003e BOOK CLUB PICK • Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGood Housekeeping\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eElle, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eElectric Lit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Exceptional.” —\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Unforgettable.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Storytelling magic.”—\u003ci\u003eOprah Daily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom WWII to 2008, this searing story follows one couple across sixty years as world events pull them together and apart, exploring what it means to find home far from your homeland.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHaiwen is buying bananas at a 99 Ranch Market in Los Angeles when he looks up and sees Suchi, his Suchi, for the first time in sixty years. To recently widowed Haiwen it feels like a second chance, but Suchi has only survived by refusing to look back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSuchi was seven when she first met Haiwen in their Shanghai neighborhood, drawn by the sound of his violin. Their childhood friendship blossomed into soul-deep love, but when Haiwen secretly enlisted in the Nationalist army in 1947 to save his brother from the draft, she was left with just his violin and a note: \u003ci\u003eForgive me.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e follows the separated lovers through six decades of tumultuous Chinese history as war, famine, and opportunity take them separately to the song halls of Hong Kong, the military encampments of Taiwan, the bustling streets of New York, and sunny California, telling Haiwen’s story from the present to the past while tracing Suchi’s from her childhood to the present, meeting in the crucible of their lives. Throughout, Haiwen holds his memories close while Suchi forces herself to look only forward, neither losing sight of the home they hold in their hearts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt once epic and intimate, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking \u003c\/i\u003eis a story of family, sacrifice, and loyalty, and of the power of love to endure beyond distance, beyond time.“Fans of historical fiction will want to pick up this exceptional novel immediately.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Those waiting to read one of the best books of 2025 don’t have to wait long. \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e, by Karissa Chen, has arrived on the scene early … One of the best debut novels of this century.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This book is starting 2025 with a buzz.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003ci\u003eBook Riot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As I tearfully turned the last page of \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e, I knew that it had earned a place on my top shelf. For Chen has finally put into words the lifelong grief I have carried as an immigrant — grief for a childhood, a place, a home that no longer exists … [Home] can also live on inside a book. \u003cb\u003eJust as I did, many readers are bound to find their home within the pages of Chen’s unforgettable debut\u003c\/b\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] sweeping, ambitious novel about the meaning of home and the power of memory.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[An] ambitious debut … This is a novel historical fiction mavens will adore, as its storytelling magic and emotional depth flow over a foundation of enlightening, critically important facts.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eOprah Daily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Debut novels don’t get much more ambitious than this one.\" \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSeattle Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] poignant debut ... Through her characters’ ranging sensibilities, Chen examines the psychological aftershocks of war … history and fate, displacement and separation. These are grand topics, but through Suchi and Haiwen’s quests for belonging amid insurmountable conflict, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e captures the enduring and unexpected ways these larger forces impact individual lives.\" \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Wonderfully cinematic, gorgeously orchestrated … Like any tried-and-true epic … the reason \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is ultimately so successful is because of Chen’s talent for seamlessly blending her characters’ deeply nuanced personal stories with far-reaching historical events to explore universal themes about the human condition: love and loss, sacrifice and regret, hope and renewal.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This generational, inter-continental love story is a testament to the enduring power of finding your home.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eHarper’s Bazaar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Karissa Chen's debut novel weaves expertly between present and past, telling the story of childhood sweethearts who meet again late in life and are torn between looking back and moving on. A kaleidoscopic yet intimate view of the Chinese diaspora, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e explores how identities flex and transform during war — and which fundamental parts of us remain the same no matter where we find ourselves.\" \u003cbr\u003e—Celeste Ng, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLittle Fires Everywhere\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] sweeping epic … Heartbreaking and hopeful in turns, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is about the love of home and family, even against unimaginable circumstances.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eGood Housekeeping\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This epic novel is both the sweeping story of one country’s fraught history and an intimate look at a couple’s enduring bond.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eReal Simple \u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Epic, assured, and beautifully drawn, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is a love story that reveals the effects of war and history on the lives of individuals. Karissa Chen has created a world that’s deeply absorbing, following Suchi and Haiwen across decades, borders, and lifetimes.”\u003cbr\u003e—Lisa Ko, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Leavers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A profound and ambitious work of historical fiction…Chen constructs a moving saga of Chinese history through the love and pain of two powerfully rendered protagonists.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The epic sweep of Karissa Chen’s debut, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e, spans borders, oceans, decades, and wars to unfurl the tale of childhood sweethearts whose fates are bound together from their time as neighbors in Japan-occupied Shanghai. Vivid historical detail brings alive the settings, from 1960s Hong Kong to late-2000s Los Angeles—where the characters reconnect. Panoramic in scope, the novel illustrates how lives among the Chinese diaspora are buffeted by history and geopolitics.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is intimate in its focus on a single couple but sweeping in its universal truths about how lives are forever changed by war.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eReader’s Digest\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Homeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is a layered, beautifully written, and deeply moving novel. The novel captures the resilience of the human spirit and the bittersweet reality of the immigrant experience. It’s more than just a love story; it’s a profound reflection on the impact of history, migration, and identity – one that explores the tension between holding on to the past and embracing the future, revealing both the pain and grace of finding where we truly belong.”\u003cbr\u003e—Abi Daré, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eGirl With the Louding Voice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is Chen’s debut, and it’s a powerful one at that … It’s a tale of chance connection and sacrifice, crossing the Chinese diaspora through war, famine and displacement.” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A heartwarming and devastating page-turner about family, immigration and loyalty.\" \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eDallas Observer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An absolute stunner of a debut. Chen nimbly tackles too often overlooked history in an exploration of surviving the trauma of war and loss of home. \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is a novel that asks if those who survive by moving forward and those who sustain by looking back can ever truly meet. At its heart, this is an impressive work of language, place, history, and all the tenuous ties that define who we are. Karissa Chen has created an elegant saga of soul and history, and proven herself a writer to watch.\" \u003cbr\u003e—Erika Swyler, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Speculation\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sweeping, epic, yet deeply intimate, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e traces a pair of first loves and the gossamer thread that binds them across six decades and four nations as the world splits them apart, again and again. A spellbinding meditation on family, immigration, and the many faces of courage in times of hardship, this is a dazzling debut.\"  —Kirstin Chen, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eCounterfeit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"For admirers of epic historical narratives that sweep readers into another era, \u003ci\u003eHomeseeking\u003c\/i\u003e is a layered, fresh take on writing across decades. Bringing together themes of friendship, love, separation, and second chances, Karissa Chen has crafted a detailed debut that poignantly meditates on remembrance and moving forward.\" \u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eElectric Lit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eKarissa Chen\u003c\/b\u003e is a Fulbright fellow, Kundiman Fiction fellow, and a VONA\/Voices fellow whose fiction and essays have appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic, Eater, The Cut, NBC News THINK!, Longreads, PEN America, Catapult, Gulf Coast\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eGuernica\u003c\/i\u003e, among others. She was awarded an artist fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as well as multiple writing residencies including at Millay Arts, where she was a Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Creative Fellow and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, among others. She was formerly a senior fiction editor at \u003ci\u003eThe Rumpus \u003c\/i\u003eand currently serves as the editor-in-chief at \u003ci\u003eHyphen\u003c\/i\u003e magazine. She received an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and splits her time between New Jersey and Taipei, Taiwan.","brand":"G.P. Putnam's Sons","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233234366693,"sku":"NP9780593713013","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593713013.jpg?v=1767729183","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/homeseeking-a-gma-book-club-pick-isbn-9780593713013","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}