Taipei Story

A dazzling coming-of-age novel of first love and loss by R.F. Kuang, #1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of YELLOWFACE and KATABASIS, new for 2026

‘Rebecca F. Kuang is about as accomplished as it’s possible to get’ VOGUE

First love. Second language. Final goodbyes.

The electrifying new novel from the literary phenomenon.

‘Rebecca F. Kuang is about as accomplished as it’s possible to get’ VOGUE

First love. Second language. Final goodbyes.

The electrifying new novel from the literary phenomenon.

‘An unstoppable force in the literary world’ NEW STATESMAN ‘A prolific maverick with rare satirical wit’ GUARDIAN

Yale student Lily Chen arrives in Taipei hungry: for family, for culture, for connection.

But her summer of discovery quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate unbearable, and a reckless, deeply awkward trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon ignites vicious gossip.

Then her grandfather dies.

Grieving and adrift, Lily must confront her own questions about the culture she inherited but never fully understood. She embarks on a wryly funny, often devastating search for understanding: of herself, her family, and the meaning of home.

All over one unforgettable summer in Taipei.

‘Kuang is sharply attuned to current mores, but prefers satire to lecturing – reminiscent, in this respect, of her fellow American writers Kiley Reid and Curtis Sittenfeld, who have also written wonderful campus novels. I loved this idiosyncratic coming-of-age story’ THE SPECTATOR

‘For fans of Sally Rooney and Coco Mellors’ COUNTRY & TOWN HOUSE

‘A sophisticated coming-of-age story’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘A timely, deeply moving novel’ GUARDIAN

‘Masterful and intelligent’ BBC RADIO 4 FRONT ROW

‘A sharp look at second-generation immigration experience’ GRAZIA

‘Wryly funny, often devastating’ SHEERLUXE

‘There is a wildness and freedom to her work that is extraordinary. Her characters are complex and human; nothing feels contrived’ TIME MAGAZINE

A flood of five star reader reviews:

'As an immigrant myself, this book resonated with me on a very personal level… That feeling of expressing yourself differently, or never quite sounding like you, was captured perfectly… Kuang also brings Taipei vividly to life… It left me reflecting long after I finished' Reader Review

'I found this tale of culture and identity to be...

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