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msbooktalker 's review for:
Maizy Chen's Last Chance
by Lisa Yee
Maizy Chen is not looking forward to spending her whole summer in Last Chance, Minnesota—in fact, her first wish upon arrival is to go home. However, as she spends more time with her ailing Opa, she starts to learn more about her family history, including when her great-great grandfather first came to the United States. While she is getting to know her family, there is a racist hate crime that happens to her family and their restaurant. Maizy hopes to uncover the truth of who is responsible for the hate crime, while also learning about her family’s legacy.
I absolutely loved this story. I think that Yee did an excellent job weaving in history of Chinese immigrants into the heart of a story about family. Anecdotally, this reminded me a lot of my mom’s stories about growing up as the only Asian-American family in a small town in Nebraska (she is half-Japanese). I think that the author really tackled the racism that the characters faced head-on, and brought a window into the intergenerational racist ideologies that can be passed down. She also showed how towns—especially small communities—can be brought together and help each other. I also really appreciated the story of the paper sons (and the paper daughter!)—fascinating history that I think could spark a lot of discussions!
I absolutely loved this story. I think that Yee did an excellent job weaving in history of Chinese immigrants into the heart of a story about family. Anecdotally, this reminded me a lot of my mom’s stories about growing up as the only Asian-American family in a small town in Nebraska (she is half-Japanese). I think that the author really tackled the racism that the characters faced head-on, and brought a window into the intergenerational racist ideologies that can be passed down. She also showed how towns—especially small communities—can be brought together and help each other. I also really appreciated the story of the paper sons (and the paper daughter!)—fascinating history that I think could spark a lot of discussions!