What This Book Is About
Meilan Hua's world is her family's matriarch Nai Nai, the bakery her parents, aunts and uncles run together in Boston's Chinatown, and the Chinese fairy tales she loves. Then Nai Nai dies. A family falling-out breaks up the bakery, and Meilan, her parents and her grieving grandfather take a long route west, ending up in Redbud, Ohio, a mostly white town the family has no connection to at all.
Redbud is the opposite of Chinatown, and at school Meilan is renamed Melanie. She begins to think of herself as several Meilans, each one tied to a different Chinese character that shares the sound of her name: one that means mist, cooling and invisible; one that means basket, carrying her parents' hopes and her guilt about them; one that means blue, which is how she feels around her new friend Logan. She keeps these selves apart until an injustice at school shows her what they are worth together. Andrea Wang has written a tender, honest novel about grief, injustice, and finding a home inside yourself. Readers who loved Inside Out & Back Again will find a kindred spirit in Meilan.
Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.
Why UWC Chose This Book
This book speaks directly to the experience of UWC students in Singapore, many of whom navigate between Chinese and Western cultures daily. Being given a different name at school is a small act with a long reach, and children who have had their own names shortened, mispronounced or replaced will recognise it at once. The way the novel builds its structure out of Chinese characters that share one sound also makes it unusually engaging for students who speak or are learning Chinese.
Beyond cultural identity, the book tackles grief, family upheaval, and the challenge of starting over in a new community, themes that resonate with internationally mobile families. Wang's writing is emotionally honest without being heavy-handed, and Meilan's journey toward self-acceptance gives students a powerful model for navigating their own complex identities with confidence and grace.
Reading Level Guide
Too challenging at A1. The themes of identity and grief require more advanced comprehension. Start with simpler realistic fiction first.
Right in the sweet spot. The straightforward prose and relatable themes make this deeply engaging at A2-B1.
A comfortable read at B2. The cultural nuances become even richer with stronger English. Try Inside Out & Back Again for a poetic companion.
Other UWC Recommended Books for This Grade
Not sure if this book is right for your child? Take our free English assessment to find their CEFR level, then choose books that match.