The Family Chao

If you listen in pieces — commute, chores, late night — The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang keeps its place in this browser.

An acclaimed storyteller returns with “a gorgeous and absorbing literary mystery” that delves into “family, betrayal, passion, race, culture and the American Dream” (Jean Kwok).    The residents of Haven, Wisconsin, have dined on the Fine Chao Restaurant’s delicious Americanized Chinese food for 35 years, happy to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. But when brash, charismatic, and tyrannical patriarch Leo Chao is found dead – presumed murdered – his sons discover that they’ve drawn the exacting gaze of the entire town.    The ensuing trial brings to light potential motives for all three brothers: Dagou, the restaurant’s reckless head chef; Ming, financially successful but personally tortured; and the youngest, gentle but lost college student James.  Brimming with heartbreak, comedy, and suspense, The Family Chao offers a kaleidoscopic, highly entertaining portrait of a Chinese American family grappling with the dark undercurrents of a seemingly pleasant small town. ©2022 Lan Samantha Chang (P)2022 Recorded Books

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