3 Books to Read for Asian American Heritage Month

by MK French

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I've shared a few books about and/or by Asian Americans in previous reviews this month, but in case you are looking for more, I have 3 new books for you.

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The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li

May 2025; Avid Reader Press; 978-1668051726
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); gothic fiction

Vivian Yin had been a famous actress in the 80s, and the first Chinese actress to win an Oscar. She faded at the height of her career, and now that she's dead, her daughters expect to inherit her Southern California mansion. But her will gives it to another family, so now both are moving in to stake a claim. Vivian's daughters try to piece together her final weeks, and it seems that they're haunted by more than regrets. 

The novel uses dual timelines and covers three generations. Vivian's two daughters had fallen out of touch, but she had also pushed them away. She refused to leave the house, let anyone help her, and wouldn't see her granddaughter. The Deng family had once worked for her, and this is who will inherit the house. From the start, there are creepy things happening, from breaking items, water damage, and odd visual effects. When the truly creepy things begin in the present, we go back in time and see how it began for Vivian and her second husband. The joy in their life eventually soured, and took a terrible turn. In the present, the secrets both families kept over the years have them isolated within the manor house, not even talking with each other. 

The secrets of the past threaten the present, and the supernatural elements mean they can't ignore them for long. Ghosts had haunted the property, and we gradually understand why the visions occur, why the garden is so overgrown, and what had happened to Vivian in the end. There's incredible sadness in that, as well as the fears Vivian hid to try to keep her daughters safe. Parents do the best they can, and sometimes the mistakes they make have consequences. I was unable to put this book down, and had to finish it right away. 

Buy The Manor of Dreams at Amazon

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

May 2025; Sourcebooks Landmark; 978-1728284866
audio, ebook, print (416 pages); historical fiction

In 1888, Oregon, Celia awakens in a tunnel after being drugged and kidnapped. Half Chinese and white passing, she is still taken to use as labor. She's forced to serve as a maid even as she looks into why she was abducted. Secrets emerge, and some of them can be downright deadly.

The time period was a terrible one for the Chinese, with the people hired for cheap wages to break railroad strikes. Once here, the other workers turned violent, with horrible massacres and racism. As a maid, Celia's parentage was initially ignored, but getting pregnant with the mayor's son has her immediately disrespected and tossed out. It happened right after Celia discovered that her Chinese father was killed in a massacre. She is therefore sensitive to further events, which were all too frequent in that time period. Celia goes through a lot over the course of the novel, putting herself in harm's way to seek justice for slaughtered men where she can, and to get back home to her daughter when abducted.

Heavily inspired by historical events, we get a picture of what life was like in 1888 Oregon for the Chinese people, women on the outskirts of society, and the poor. Justice isn't always served, especially when there's profit and reputation at stake. The tension is high throughout the novel, since we don't know whom Celia can trust and if she'll make it through. It was a tough time period, and she's a strong-willed woman. I was drawn into her story and the struggle she endured.

Buy The Girls of Good Fortune at Amazon

Death on the Caldera by Emily Paxman

May 2025; Titan Books; 978-1835411582
ebook, print (448 pages); murder mystery

Kellen, Davina, and Morel Linde are desperate to return home to Halgyr before their father dies. Kellen will assume the throne as king once he does. The three siblings book a luxury express train home, but the engine explodes and strands the survivors near a caldera. This crash also triggers Davina's latent witch powers and disrupts her memory of the events just prior to the explosion. Magic could have caused it, so the siblings hide this from the other survivors. But someone is killing survivors, and the siblings aren't the only ones with things to hide.

This world has magic in the form of witches, who have a human side as well, and can essentially transform from one shape to the next. The volcano caldera in the center was once home to an empire that was wiped out when it blew three hundred years before, leaving behind stragglers and refugees that another empire swallowed up. That kingdom once revered witches, but now they are hunted and killed. Different stones are used to create various effects, including explosions or seeing images embedded in them. Halgyr is a smaller northern kingdom that was left alone, and its royal family’s identities are kept hidden. That allows them to live like commoners or diplomats prior to ascending the throne, with the belief it lets them know what the people need. It's this world that is upended with the train crash in the center of the caldera. To keep suspicions away from Davina, the siblings investigate the murder of the train conductor. Other passengers have their secrets, including ties to the mob, smuggling, and trying to get financial support from other rich investors. 

The magic in the volcanic stones is studied like science, which is fascinating. Witchcraft is more powerful, but also more volatile, especially without training. Davina manifests the ability to save her life, which halts the extent of the explosion. However, a separate murderer muddled the situation, and the nobles on board escalated things even further. The siblings are all caught up in the investigation, but also by the duty of their birth. This both helps and hinders the investigation, and adds to the reader's tension levels. When we find out what happened, it's a rapid turnaround, and I loved the conclusion of the novel. It's well done, and kept me enthralled to the last page. 

Buy Death on the Caldera at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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