# 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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