Book Review: Off the Books by Soma Mei Sheng Frazier

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Off the Books by Soma Mei Sheng Frazier is a compelling read and an impressive debut.

Twenty-four-year-old Mĕi L. Brown dropped out of Dartmouth after a family tragedy and has been working as a private chauffeur offering her services “going karura” or “off the books” on the advice of her eighty-six-year-old Lǎoyé (grandfather) - an American history buff- who helps her find clients and who is her biggest ally, as she has distanced herself from her friends and is currently not speaking to her mother.

Mei’s most recent client is the mysterious Henry Lee who is paying her handsomely for a trip from San Francisco to Syracuse. Henry’s insistence on timed stops and the enormous suitcase he guards diligently never letting it out of his sight strikes Mĕi as suspicious behavior and she turns to Lǎoyé for advice on how to proceed. His reassurance is enough for her to continue on her assignment and as the narrative progresses, she gradually befriends Henry and the mystery behind the suitcase is ultimately revealed. What she discovers and their journey thereon compels Mĕi to reflect on her own life and choices and her family history, as the daughter of a white American father and Chinese American immigrant mother.

The author has deftly woven insightful historical, political and social commentary into a story revolving around a cross-country road trip that evolves into transformative journey will irrevocably change the way our protagonist views her privileged upbringing and her future and alter her worldview.

I enjoyed the road trip segments and liked that the novel is structured in chapters covering each leg of the road trip. The characters are well written and the author depicts complex human emotions with insight and maturity. I found Mĕi to be an interesting protagonist and appreciated how her personal journey is depicted throughout the course of the novel. I loved the bond between Mĕi and her grandfather, who was my favorite character. His wit, insight and wisdom certainly enriched the narrative. His interactions with Mĕi offer an interesting perspective on the issues and events described in the novel while also providing some much-needed lighter moments to balance the heavier themes.

“‘Listen,’ he says, ‘all my life I teach you history. So you can be on the right side of it. But a good life about more than knowing. A good life about doing, too.’”

The novel addresses sensitive themes such as navigating grief and loss and complicated family dynamics realistically and with empathy and compassion. Please note that there are mentions of racism, sexual abuse and suicide.

The author incorporates timely and relevant themes, touching upon contemporary (and historical) world events, into the narrative, with emphasis on the Chinese American immigrant experience, and the plight of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China and the injustices committed against them. These segments are disturbing, with mentions of genocide, persecution and other atrocities.

The narrative does include segments wherein full sentences are spoken in Mandarin. Though the text that follows gives us a good idea of what is being expressed, perhaps a glossary/footnote/true translation would have made for a smoother read for those of us who do not understand the language. However, this does not detract from my overall experience. There were certain aspects of the story that I felt could have been explored further, but I did like how the author chose to end the story. The romantic track is executed with maturity and is shown to evolve gradually and does not distract from the primary narrative.

Overall, I found this to be a well-crafted, thought-provoking read and I look forward to reading more from this talented new author in the future.

Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company for the gifted ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.