Vanessa Hua Books in Order

Immigrant families navigate the ties between their ancestral homelands and life in America in these stories. Their experiences expose conflicts between personal identity and social expectations, with tradition and change pulling them toward worlds where belonging remains uncertain.

Pregnant Scarlett Chen escapes a secret Los Angeles maternity home with teenage mother-to-be Daisy. In San Francisco’s Chinatown, she struggles to build an independent future while the powerful father of her child searches for her.

Teenage Mei leaves her impoverished village to serve at Chairman Mao’s residence before the Cultural Revolution. Becoming his confidante and lover places her amid political rivalries, personal manipulation, and the struggle to define her own identity.

Jin Chang moves his family into a wealthy Berkeley-area community while hiding a risky property scheme. As his daughter and another isolated teenager plan to expose local hypocrisy, competing developments, a roaming coyote, and fire season intensify tensions.