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Homeseeking: An epic tale of one couple spanning decades as world events pull them together and apart

Karissa Chen

2 Reviews

Rated 0

China, Taiwan, USA, 20th century, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Historical fiction

PACHINKO meets THE NOTEBOOK in this transportive and heartrending novel about first loves, new beginnings and second chances, set between Shangai, Taiwan, Hong Kong and LA and spanning almost seventy years

'A layered, beautifully written, and deeply moving novel. Karissa Chen masterfully blends love, music, history, and heartbreak to create a sweeping tale that spans decades and continents'
Abi Dare

'[Homeseeking] 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'
Celeste Ng

'As I tearfully turned the last page of Homeseeking, I knew that it had earned a place on my top shelf . . . unforgettable'
Washington Post

'Mesmerising . . . its portrayal of ruptured lives is heartrending'
Harper's Bazaar

There are moments when a single choice can define an entire life. Haiwen and Suchi are teenage sweethearts in 1940s Shanghai; their childhood friendship has blossomed into young love, and they believe that they are soulmates. But when Haiwen secretly decides to enlist in the army to keep his brother from the draft, their shared future is shattered. Their paths take them far afield from each other, with the exception of one pivotal chance encounter on the Hong Kong ferry in 1966.

Sixty years later, Haiwen, now in his late seventies, is bagging bananas at a 99 Ranch in Los Angeles when he lifts his head to once more see Suchi. As they begin to rekindle their friendship, it feels like they might have a second chance to live the life they were supposed to have together. But the weight of the past lives with them at every moment, and only time will tell if they are able to forge something new.

Told in alternating narratives, Homeseeking spans seven decades, through the most tumultuous period of modern Chinese history up to contemporary times, tracing the separated lovers as they migrate from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and America.

'A love story in more ways than one, Homeseeking is a beautiful, nuanced look at Chinese history, family, young love, and the wisdom of age'
Vanessa Chan

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Praise for Homeseeking: An epic tale of one couple spanning decades as world events pull them together and apart

  • 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, Homeseeking explores how identities flex and transform during war-and which fundamental parts of us remain the same no matter where we find ourselves.

  • Homeseeking is a perfect love song, beautiful and poignant and tender and sad. A tour de force of storytelling and a book with real faith in the human heart, with all its immense capacity for both love and hatred. Read it. It will make time stand still. Karissa Chen is the writer we've been waiting for, and Homeseeking is a must read.'

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