# One American's Mid-Life Confrontation With Her Chinese Past
"Today, if you search Amazon bestsellers about Chinese people, you will notice an interesting trend: three of the top ten novels were written in the 1930s," Catherine Wu wrote on her website. "Since 2018, the United States has been embroiled in a trade war with China... As a result, many people are drowning in a subconscious deluge of fear and anxiety about China."
She hopes The Moon Goddess’s Smile can open "a unique window for Americans to glimpse the mysterious Chinese psyche [and] understand the real China and the Chinese people."
“Wu guides the reader through a journey of cultural clashes between her protagonist’s Chinese family’s traditional ways, present-day Chinese society, and her adoptive America’s mores. This is one of those books that makes you feel more intelligent after reading it.” — Dr. Edward Mickolus, retired CIA analyst and award-winning co-author of White Noise Whispers.
# Lit Chat Author Talk with Catherine Wu
Like the protagonist in her debut novel, Wu spent her formative years in China before coming to New York City as a graduate student. She decided to follow her heart and pursue her dream of becoming a storyteller after a career in biomedical research and podiatry practice. After honing her fiction-writing skills at Boston’s GrubStreet, she crafted this unique story, a labor of love. Nowadays, she lives with her husband in Jacksonville, FL.
Join us from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, at South Mandarin Branch Library for a 20-minute presentation by the author and 10 minutes of audience Q&A. A book signing will follow, with a limited number of books available for sale on site.
# More Praise for the Book
The book has been called a "An observant and emotionally authentic novel of homecoming" by Kirkus Reviews. Additionally, Independent Book Review wrote, "A remarkable story that encompasses generations and carries thousands of years of tradition... [it] deftly interweaves ancient legend, myth, and folktale with the real historical events that shaped China."
Reminder: Any book written by a 2025 Lit Chat author counts toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completion.
# Readalikes
Do you like Chinese history, mythology, and fantasy? Here are some other titles you may enjoy:
- Aunt Tigress, by Emily Yu-Hsuan Qin
- Iron Widow, by Xiran Jay Zhao
- The Poppy War, by R. F. Kuang
- The Scarlet Alchemist, by Kylie Lee Baker
- Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
- Homeseeking, by Karissa Chen
- The Funeral Cryer, by Wenyan Wu
- Little Gods, by Meng Jin
- The Bonesetter’s Daughter, by Amy Tan
- Good Fortune, by C. K. Chau
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