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In this day and age, when boundaries between locations are fluid, feeling a sense of place could be the result of either a physical or emotional connection. In this book roundup, we’re exploring how characters develop a sense of place — whether on a college campus (“If You’ll Have Me”), a grocery store or other place of employment (“Tomb Sweeping”), a familiar and caring neighborhood (“Laolao’s Dumplings”), or a city that becomes a new home (“I Am Kavi”). Our experiences and observations shape our sense of place and define how we view and engage with life. The fact is that having been somewhere, regardless of whether we stay or not, alters a part of us.
This collection of short stories explores a gradient of connections, some so fleeting that the attention Alexandra Chang took to write about them alone makes it worth reading. She writes about scenarios that are so present and specific that the reader can picture them instantly. There are the archetypal child-and-parent stories, but also less obvious ones like housesitter-and-homeowner and self-and-algorithm. Each story has the feeling of being wistful for a connection that no longer exists, or is on the brink of passing. Some stories span the course of one day, while others span more than a decade.
One that stands out is “Cure for Life,” about two employees at an upscale grocery store. Chang shows how their brief time as coworkers ended with a misunderstanding; in turn, one moves on and the other stays, seemingly stuck on something that he isn’t able to resolve. Their encounter at another upscale grocery store is a surprising and satisfying end to the short story.
Some of the stories such as “Farewell, Hank” border on the surreal. The Orchid Lady, renowned for the garden she cultivates, grows vibrant flowers because she feeds…
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