The Family Chao, published in early 2022, is Lan Samantha Chang's book which explores what it means to be a family and the immigrant experience. It follows the eponymous Chang family, who have run a Chinese restaurant together for nearly thirty-five years. And though their business is a success, much of the town they live in treats the Chao family with suspicion and, occasionally, contempt.
The town's suspicions are confirmed when the patriarch of the family, Leo Chao, is found dead, potentially murdered by a member of his village—or even his family. Eventually, Dagou (Leo's son) is discovered as his father's killer and faces repercussions for his actions. He is convicted for his father's murder but is ultimately released from prison.
The Family Chao was a bestseller in 2022 and received very positive reviews. NPR loved the novel, saying Fyodor Dostoevsky inspired it and that it "is a riveting character-driven novel that delves beautifully into human psychology; Dostoevsky would surely approve." The Guardian also liked the novel. In their review, they called it a "darkly comic novel."
