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In the 1930s and 1940s, countless German Jews fled overseas to escape the Nazi regime. Despite the ongoing Sino-Japanese War, many of them chose to emigrate to Shanghai, an open port with few restrictions on entry. Integrated into this overlooked corner of history, the plot of In Strange Lands spans one century, two continents, and three countries: Germany, China, and Taiwan. From Nazi extermination campaigns, to World War II and the Chinese Civil War, to the Coronavirus pandemic, one family relies on personal resilience and international friendships to survive as they are driven before the storm winds of history.

Based in the author’s experiences as a professional recorder player, the stories of this collection not only correspond to the finger holes of the instrument – the music referenced within echoes the emotions and circumstances of each narrative. Just as finger holes are absences which are essential to the production of melody, so the absences hidden away in the lives of these characters are essential components of their persons. Covering ground ranging from technical exercises, schoolyard bullying, and memory, to the personal legacy of the 228 Incident, these stories use music to link past and present, reconnect the living and the deceased, and even provide glimpses of the future.

Prior to marriage, most people understand that it is far more than two people joining the lives together. However, it is only after marriage that many realize that, beyond the myriad practical considerations, an onslaught of troubles lies in wait, and an equal number of small moments of beauty are at risk of being overlooked. In a world where the life stage of marriage is eternally delayed, and further complicated by the existence of former lovers and parental financing, Calluses narrates the ways in which we imagine our families into existence, and forge a new sense of self in the process. As the plot develops through one contingency after another, the novel resonates with poetic lyricism and shimmers with incisive observations of contemporary life.

Using eight varieties of ornamental plants as thematic material, the stories in this flourishing collection present their characters’ circumstances in horticultural terms, developing analogies to the techniques and processes of floriculture specific to each plant. Born on a family-run nursery, the author writes with an insider’s eye, constructing the richly detailed setting of an agricultural community in interaction with the larger contexts of society and the natural environment. Each story is a finely executed tribute to the concerns of nurserymen, their families, and their considerable professional knowledge, gifting readers a unique literary angle on life in an overlooked community.

Drawing material from Taiwan’s first random serial killer case, the novel A Sketch in Scarlet features both a woman serial killer and a woman scholar of criminal profiling who investigates the case. Aside from providing stark foils to one another, this construction allows author Karasumi to highlight the pressures and condemnation faced by all women, regardless of their social and economic backgrounds. This isn’t one of those murder cases that confounds readers with cunning criminal schemes; the investigation instead revolves around determining the mental state and motive of the murderer. When the female investigator squares off against the killer, she is not only solving a crime, she is confronting the limitations of her own predicament as a woman within the social milieu of 1980s Taiwan.

Every item in a pawnshop has its value, and a story. The owner of a pawnshop, if he is to see these things clearly, must have a very special eye. In The Otherworld Pawnshop, readers encounter a 400-year-old pawnshop that only operates at night, and a high school student who is forced to run the shop in the wake of a family tragedy. Not yet an adult, and with a horoscope laden with otherworldly influences, he finds himself embroiled in a murder case, and then discovers that the store he has inherited hides further secrets. Packed with humorous dialogue, superstition, folklore, and social observation, The Otherworld Pawnshop is a captivating construction.

There was a unique atmosphere in 1970s Taiwan. The infrastructure program known as the Ten Major Construction Projects was already underway, the US had not yet severed diplomatic relations, and the “economic miracle” was just beginning to gain momentum. One major internal power struggle was safely in the past, and the turmoil of the 1980s democracy movement had not yet begun. This period of stable development, peace, and increasing prosperity for the Republic of China was notable for giving the impression of an honest people ruled by a just government, even as citizens were encouraged to keep watch over their neighbors to help root out communist spies. With its sly choice of observational viewpoints and carefully chosen title, Anti-Gravity approaches history with a light touch, taking readers back to these optimistic times while dropping hints of subversion along the way.

Though her stories confront us with cruel truths, Ayri Chang’s prose always conveys a reassuring warmth, which is perhaps the mode best suited to women’s writing, and writing about women. In six independent yet interconnected stories, Wish You a Loved Life introduces readers to three women making important choices at various stages of life. These stories are a record of, and a conversation about, ordinary life and the uniqueness of every ordinary moment. As comforting as they are accurate, Chang’s characteristic turns of phrase flash like gold within these quiet narratives, becoming surprises that are always worthy of readers’ anticipation.

Youth holds a nearly unmatched power, which, miraculously, is derived from its very transience and immutability. Set against the backdrop of 1980s Taiwan, From Tomorrow, I Will Be a Happy Person takes us into the youth of democracy itself, a time when societal values were undergoing one transformation after another. Clashing with one era, the protagonists of the democracy movement helped to usher in the next, but what would they become once their youthful vitality was spent? What kind of adults would they be after sacrificing their youth to fuel the fires in which a new society was forged? These questions are a painful process of introspection, and point to an understanding that only comes in hindsight.