A Long Stay in a Distant Land

Reviews

“[A] whimsical debut…Treat[s] readers to delectable nibbles of zany family lore and conjectural genealogies stretching back centuries. Charmingly eccentric and refreshingly unstereotypical.”

“Narrator James Yaegashi lovingly renders this story in an understated tone that fits the novel. His methodical pace and easy style nudge the action along and keep the book interesting.”

“[A] dazzling debut: poignant, prickly, and deliciously absurd.”

“At once charming, bittersweet, and hilarious…The story, which moves back and forth in time, reveals many universal truths and is easy to follow and enjoyable…Yaegashi brilliantly captures each somewhat eccentric character…he also excels at comic understatement. Large ethnic and particularly Chinese community libraries should add this outstanding work.”

“Chieh Chieng has clear sight and a distinctive voice, a devastating deadpan wit animated by a lively sense of what is absurd in the transitional culture he explores and in the tighter and eternal culture of family. But Mr. Chieng never forgets that the human comedy matters gravely, that the final joke is on everybody, and that it’s not funny.”

“For me, Chieh Chieng’s subtle wit, his clear-eyed and economical prose, and his sense of irony bring to mind most readily the work of one of my favorite filmmakers—Jim Jarmusch. And in A Long Stay in a Distant Land, Chieng has written a thoroughly enjoyable and consistently inventive first novel.”

“This is a whimsical, poignant book that explores the country of family as the true immigrant experience. Chieng takes us on this entertaining journey from many different points of view, some obsessive, some murderous, some wry and sarcastic, but each leading to the same destination: our place—whether we like it or not—in our immutable lineage.”

“Reminiscent of the early work of V. S. Naipaul and Sherman Alexie, Chieh Chieng’s unique voice balances a mordant humor with genuine tenderness. In weaving a tapestry of one Chinese-American family’s epic struggle to assimilate in the US, Chieng delights in his wonderfully eccentric characters, and ultimately casts light on the universal American need: that to discover where we are headed, and where we belong, we must first understand where it is we come from.”

“With both irreverence and compassion, Chieh creates a hilarious, fast-paced narrative that never undermines his respect for his offbeat, big-hearted characters.”

“Real tragedies as well as genuine emotions are conveyed with humor, but also with understanding and compassion…These characters are Asian American, but most listeners who are close to their own grandparents will recognize them as part of their American family.”

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