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Deceit and Other Possibilities
In this powerful debut collection, Vanessa Hua gives voice to immigrant families navigating a new America. Tied to their ancestral and adopted homelands in ways unimaginable in generations past, these memorable characters straddle both worlds but belong to none.
From a Hong Kong movie idol fleeing a sex scandal, to an obedient daughter turned Stanford imposter, to a Chinatown elder summoned to his village, to a Korean-American pastor with a secret agenda, the characters in these ten stories vividly illustrate the conflict between self and society, tradition and change. In “What We Have is What We Need,” winner of The Atlantic student fiction prize, a boy from Mexico reunites with his parents in San Francisco. When he suspects his mother has found love elsewhere, he fights to keep his family together.
With insight and wit, she writes about what wounds us and what we must survive. Her searing stories explore the clash of cultures and the complex, always shifting allegiances that we carry in ourselves, our family, and our community. Deceit and Other Possibilities marks the emergence of a remarkable new writer.
From a Hong Kong movie idol fleeing a sex scandal, to an obedient daughter turned Stanford imposter, to a Chinatown elder summoned to his village, to a Korean-American pastor with a secret agenda, the characters in these ten stories vividly illustrate the conflict between self and society, tradition and change. In “What We Have is What We Need,” winner of The Atlantic student fiction prize, a boy from Mexico reunites with his parents in San Francisco. When he suspects his mother has found love elsewhere, he fights to keep his family together.
With insight and wit, she writes about what wounds us and what we must survive. Her searing stories explore the clash of cultures and the complex, always shifting allegiances that we carry in ourselves, our family, and our community. Deceit and Other Possibilities marks the emergence of a remarkable new writer.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published September 30, 2016
73 people are currently reading
4337 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Hua
18 books452 followersVanessa Hua is the author of the national bestsellers A River of Stars and Forbidden City, as well the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a California Arts Council Fellowship, and a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, as well as honors from the de Groot Foundation, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Asian American Journalists Association, among others. She was a finalist for the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, and the New American Voices Award. Previously, she was an award-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. She has filed stories from China, Burma, South Korea, Ecuador, and Panama, and her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She teaches at the Warren Wilson MFA Program and elsewhere. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Her novel, COYOTELAND, and nonfiction narrative, UPROOTED, are forthcoming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
March 29, 2020
Two years ago, I read Vanessa Hua’s debut novel
A River of Stars
, which presented a realistic take on the Chinese immigrant experience against the backdrop of the “birth tourism” phenomenon in the United States. I enjoyed that book quite a bit, not just for the story and the characters, but also the way Hua was able to work the cultural references into the plot so smoothly. I remember thinking at that time how much I looked forward to Hua’s next book and hoping that she wouldn’t make us wait too long. Well, the wait isn’t exactly over yet, since Hua’s next novel has yet to materialize, however a compilation of short stories that she had written over the years was re-released earlier this month, in a collection which includes newer stories that weren’t part of the version released back in 2016.
This particular collection consists of 13 stories featuring protagonists from various backgrounds and all different walks of life, but with one commonality – the characters were either immigrants or from immigrant families, with the shared experience of trying to navigate two worlds: the one they came from and the one in which they currently lived. Of course, given the title of the book, each of the story dealt with the underlying theme of deception – whether it was the characters deceiving themselves, their families, or others. With that said though, these stories actually went much deeper than that, as Hua covered a lot of ground in terms of topics, such as identity and belonging, family, love, marriage and relationships, religion, infidelity, loneliness and isolation, etc. One of the things that made this collection stand out for me was the diverse nature of the characters -- who hailed from places such as Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Vietnam, Japan, Serbia, Africa – as well as how creatively different and varied each of the stories was. Not only that, the other thing that impressed me was the way Hua was able to incorporate aspects of each culture so seamlessly into the stories, all of which were immersive and interesting to read. It’s certainly not often that we get such a varied portrayal of immigrant life, encompassing so many different voices and perspectives, all in a single story collection.
This is an excellent collection that I enjoyed and absolutely recommend! My only complaint is that these are short stories, which are “incomplete” by nature, and so like I do when I read any short story collection, I felt like I was left hanging when each story ended abruptly. Some of the stories I actually felt a sense of disappointment when I got to the end because the plot was at a climactic point, but then I turn the page and the story is over – several times I felt like the rug was being pulled from under me just when things were getting good. But of course, I have this problem with all short story collections in general, which is why I will always prefer full-length novels more.
With this collection, I actually liked all the stories, so to pick which ones were ‘favorites’ is extremely difficult. Instead, I am just going to point out which stories stood out the most to me: “Line, Please” and “Loaves and Fishes” (because of the familiarity with the Hong Kong culture and setting, though the parallels to former HK celebrity Edison Chen’s real-life scandal were way too obvious!), “For What They Shared” (this was the most cleverly-written out of all the stories), “The Responsibility of Deceit” (wonderfully written story about an interracial gay couple dealing with the fallout from one partner’s ‘coming out’ to his traditional Chinese parents), “VIP Tutoring” (this one gave me a sense of déjà vu, as I actually know people like those in the story, with very similar experiences), “The Older the Ginger” (probably one of the most culturally-resonant out of all the stories), and “Room at the Table” (this was the story that I personally resonated with the most).
Received ARC from Counterpoint Press via Edelweiss.
This particular collection consists of 13 stories featuring protagonists from various backgrounds and all different walks of life, but with one commonality – the characters were either immigrants or from immigrant families, with the shared experience of trying to navigate two worlds: the one they came from and the one in which they currently lived. Of course, given the title of the book, each of the story dealt with the underlying theme of deception – whether it was the characters deceiving themselves, their families, or others. With that said though, these stories actually went much deeper than that, as Hua covered a lot of ground in terms of topics, such as identity and belonging, family, love, marriage and relationships, religion, infidelity, loneliness and isolation, etc. One of the things that made this collection stand out for me was the diverse nature of the characters -- who hailed from places such as Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Vietnam, Japan, Serbia, Africa – as well as how creatively different and varied each of the stories was. Not only that, the other thing that impressed me was the way Hua was able to incorporate aspects of each culture so seamlessly into the stories, all of which were immersive and interesting to read. It’s certainly not often that we get such a varied portrayal of immigrant life, encompassing so many different voices and perspectives, all in a single story collection.
This is an excellent collection that I enjoyed and absolutely recommend! My only complaint is that these are short stories, which are “incomplete” by nature, and so like I do when I read any short story collection, I felt like I was left hanging when each story ended abruptly. Some of the stories I actually felt a sense of disappointment when I got to the end because the plot was at a climactic point, but then I turn the page and the story is over – several times I felt like the rug was being pulled from under me just when things were getting good. But of course, I have this problem with all short story collections in general, which is why I will always prefer full-length novels more.
With this collection, I actually liked all the stories, so to pick which ones were ‘favorites’ is extremely difficult. Instead, I am just going to point out which stories stood out the most to me: “Line, Please” and “Loaves and Fishes” (because of the familiarity with the Hong Kong culture and setting, though the parallels to former HK celebrity Edison Chen’s real-life scandal were way too obvious!), “For What They Shared” (this was the most cleverly-written out of all the stories), “The Responsibility of Deceit” (wonderfully written story about an interracial gay couple dealing with the fallout from one partner’s ‘coming out’ to his traditional Chinese parents), “VIP Tutoring” (this one gave me a sense of déjà vu, as I actually know people like those in the story, with very similar experiences), “The Older the Ginger” (probably one of the most culturally-resonant out of all the stories), and “Room at the Table” (this was the story that I personally resonated with the most).
Received ARC from Counterpoint Press via Edelweiss.
August 28, 2021
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Hua’s stories explore, however superficially, the experiences of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in the United States: the generational and cultural differences between immigrant parents and their American-born children, the struggle to assimilate into a different country, especially one which will treat you as Other, the desire to adopt new customs vs. the pull towards traditions. These were all potentially interesting avenues, sadly, none of the stories delves deeply into them. Each story follows the same formula: we have a main character who is at a turning point, and they are forced to or decide to 'deceive' others or themselves. With one exception, they all commit some selfish or unscrupulous act. At times they do so because of monetary reasons (“VIP Tutoring”) or because they believe they have no other options (“Accepted”) or for some obscure reasons that I personally did not find all that convincing. They usually try to excuse their behaviour, but inevitably, they are exposed as 'frauds'.
I didn't like the fact that all of these stories unfold in the same way, so that within the very first pages I would guess the story's inciting incident, trajectory, and conclusion. Perhaps I wouldn't have minded as much if the characters had struck me as sympathetic or realistic, but for the most part they were rather one-dimensional, all a similar shade of self-deceiving and egotistic. Yet, even if I did not like them, I wasn't gratified by their eventual comeuppance. The moralistic tone of these stories was really off-putting, and while I found “The Responsibility of Deceit” to be the most 'decent' story of the lot, I thoroughly disagree with the author's equating a man's closetedness to 'deception' (coming out can be dangerous, and chances are that it will make others treat you differently or even condemn you for your sexuality).
I wasn't take by the author's writing style, which relied on clichés such as “asking for an apology was easier than asking for permission”. Personally, I find descriptions such as “the air was muggy, swollen as a bruise” to be overdone.
While I'm sure that there is a reader for these type of stories, that reader is not me.
Hua’s stories explore, however superficially, the experiences of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in the United States: the generational and cultural differences between immigrant parents and their American-born children, the struggle to assimilate into a different country, especially one which will treat you as Other, the desire to adopt new customs vs. the pull towards traditions. These were all potentially interesting avenues, sadly, none of the stories delves deeply into them. Each story follows the same formula: we have a main character who is at a turning point, and they are forced to or decide to 'deceive' others or themselves. With one exception, they all commit some selfish or unscrupulous act. At times they do so because of monetary reasons (“VIP Tutoring”) or because they believe they have no other options (“Accepted”) or for some obscure reasons that I personally did not find all that convincing. They usually try to excuse their behaviour, but inevitably, they are exposed as 'frauds'.
I didn't like the fact that all of these stories unfold in the same way, so that within the very first pages I would guess the story's inciting incident, trajectory, and conclusion. Perhaps I wouldn't have minded as much if the characters had struck me as sympathetic or realistic, but for the most part they were rather one-dimensional, all a similar shade of self-deceiving and egotistic. Yet, even if I did not like them, I wasn't gratified by their eventual comeuppance. The moralistic tone of these stories was really off-putting, and while I found “The Responsibility of Deceit” to be the most 'decent' story of the lot, I thoroughly disagree with the author's equating a man's closetedness to 'deception' (coming out can be dangerous, and chances are that it will make others treat you differently or even condemn you for your sexuality).
I wasn't take by the author's writing style, which relied on clichés such as “asking for an apology was easier than asking for permission”. Personally, I find descriptions such as “the air was muggy, swollen as a bruise” to be overdone.
While I'm sure that there is a reader for these type of stories, that reader is not me.
December 16, 2016
Closer to 4.5 stars.
One of the best short story collections I've read this year.
As the title may suggest, the common thread in all of these stories is deception. Let me tell you, this makes for fascinating storytelling and tension. Some of the characters deceive themselves while others outwardly and egregiously deceive others with potentially disastrous consequences. Another common thread is the characters themselves! A few characters make an appearance in other stories, which is always a plus in my book because despite how much I now like short story collections, I can’t quite abandon my bias for novels. Recurring characters offer familiar grounds for a novel lover like myself.
The stories center around first generation immigrants or the American children of immigrants. And I must note that despite all these common threads, the stories manage to be drastically different from each other. This is a huge plus!
For the in-depth review, visit my blog: Read Diverse Books
One of the best short story collections I've read this year.
As the title may suggest, the common thread in all of these stories is deception. Let me tell you, this makes for fascinating storytelling and tension. Some of the characters deceive themselves while others outwardly and egregiously deceive others with potentially disastrous consequences. Another common thread is the characters themselves! A few characters make an appearance in other stories, which is always a plus in my book because despite how much I now like short story collections, I can’t quite abandon my bias for novels. Recurring characters offer familiar grounds for a novel lover like myself.
The stories center around first generation immigrants or the American children of immigrants. And I must note that despite all these common threads, the stories manage to be drastically different from each other. This is a huge plus!
For the in-depth review, visit my blog: Read Diverse Books
August 26, 2020
August 2020: In this re-issue of her 2016 book of the same title, Hua adds 3 stories (i.e., "VIP Testing," "Just Like Us," and "Room at the Table"). I'm not sure why those stories needed to be included now. They were okay and consistent with the others. They didn't affect the overall quality of the book.
All the stories are quirky and feature deception. What confinement, pressure, or subjugation--perceived or actual--lead so many to deceive and wallow in an unabashedly passive-aggressive state? This book depicts many scenarios. A few show a way out or through.
Why would an accomplished journalist craft a collection where each story hinges on something hidden or misrepresented? What is she working out or working through in fiction? The story about the elderly Chinese American man who visits his mother in China/PRC and the one about a young Chinese American guy who becomes a Hong Kong actor are both based on or inspired by Hua's work as a newspaper reporter, according to interviews with the author. Is she trying to provide some relief to her nonfiction subjects by recasting them as fictional characters?
Her journalistic pieces are often folksy, human interest ones, cover the span of diversity, and reveal some irony or contradiction. They are engaging and educational...and that approach can be found in this book.
As I did from my first read, I found the book to be the most diverse book. And it is handled with a balance of respect and knowledge...I'm confident Hua has earned both in order to convey them. Her characters are young and old, gay and straight, American-born and immigrant/undocumented, Korean American, Mexican American, Japanese American, Chinese American, etc.
My favorite stories are still "For What They Shared" (an ingenious concept where an immigrant crosses paths with her American-born counterpart), "The Responsibility of Deceit" about the struggle to come out to one's immigrant parents, and "The Older the Ginger" where a returning senior immigrant is put through the paces to marry and the manipulation is just so oppressively Asian.
Lastly, I'll add this: I enjoyed the settings of San Francisco Chinatown, Oakland Chinatown, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University--they all magnified what I call that "killing me softly" feeling.
______
March 2017: First, two things: (1) this is the MOST diverse book I've ever read (yay!) and (2) I cannot wait until her novel is available.
I was relieved and refreshed by this book, especially during this awful time of Chump America.
This collection of short stories is creative, each story distinct and satisfying. My only complaint is that short stories end too soon.
I almost forgot that I was reading letters and words. I felt as if I were dropped into the stories. And there were many "killing me softly" moments when it seemed my personal truths were exposed.
The author wrote varied and diverse characters: old and young; gay and straight; American immigrant and multi-generations American; Mexican American, Korean American, Japanese American, and Chinese American.
My favorite stories were: "For What They Shared" (an absolutely ingenious concept), "The Responsibility of Deceit," and "The Older the Ginger.
All the stories are quirky and feature deception. What confinement, pressure, or subjugation--perceived or actual--lead so many to deceive and wallow in an unabashedly passive-aggressive state? This book depicts many scenarios. A few show a way out or through.
Why would an accomplished journalist craft a collection where each story hinges on something hidden or misrepresented? What is she working out or working through in fiction? The story about the elderly Chinese American man who visits his mother in China/PRC and the one about a young Chinese American guy who becomes a Hong Kong actor are both based on or inspired by Hua's work as a newspaper reporter, according to interviews with the author. Is she trying to provide some relief to her nonfiction subjects by recasting them as fictional characters?
Her journalistic pieces are often folksy, human interest ones, cover the span of diversity, and reveal some irony or contradiction. They are engaging and educational...and that approach can be found in this book.
As I did from my first read, I found the book to be the most diverse book. And it is handled with a balance of respect and knowledge...I'm confident Hua has earned both in order to convey them. Her characters are young and old, gay and straight, American-born and immigrant/undocumented, Korean American, Mexican American, Japanese American, Chinese American, etc.
My favorite stories are still "For What They Shared" (an ingenious concept where an immigrant crosses paths with her American-born counterpart), "The Responsibility of Deceit" about the struggle to come out to one's immigrant parents, and "The Older the Ginger" where a returning senior immigrant is put through the paces to marry and the manipulation is just so oppressively Asian.
Lastly, I'll add this: I enjoyed the settings of San Francisco Chinatown, Oakland Chinatown, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University--they all magnified what I call that "killing me softly" feeling.
______
March 2017: First, two things: (1) this is the MOST diverse book I've ever read (yay!) and (2) I cannot wait until her novel is available.
I was relieved and refreshed by this book, especially during this awful time of Chump America.
This collection of short stories is creative, each story distinct and satisfying. My only complaint is that short stories end too soon.
I almost forgot that I was reading letters and words. I felt as if I were dropped into the stories. And there were many "killing me softly" moments when it seemed my personal truths were exposed.
The author wrote varied and diverse characters: old and young; gay and straight; American immigrant and multi-generations American; Mexican American, Korean American, Japanese American, and Chinese American.
My favorite stories were: "For What They Shared" (an absolutely ingenious concept), "The Responsibility of Deceit," and "The Older the Ginger.
September 22, 2016
There’s an intense energy to the stories in Vanessa Hua’s DECEIT AND OTHER POSSIBILITIES (love the dissonance of the title) that mirrors the fraught, sometimes frenzied lives of its struggling Asian, immigrant characters.
The persistent depiction of excess in the settings (including San Francisco, my home town) and action within this collection parallels men and women at low points in their lives who are driven to extremes because of their sense of not having enough—of belonging, identity, acceptance, understanding, uniqueness, freedom, wealth, success, and/or love.
“In your dreams you escaped the prison of your circumstances.” But repeatedly these earnest, yearning characters refuse to rely only on their dreams to escape the prison of their circumstances and they often make poor choices and bad mistakes as they strive toward “bigger, brighter” versions of themselves. These are vivid, sensory and imaginative stories (loved all the food details and inventive scenarios) rich with original similes and imagery. Stories that allowed me to empathize with unique and diverse characters and their dilemmas—something we need to experience much more of in books and writing.
The persistent depiction of excess in the settings (including San Francisco, my home town) and action within this collection parallels men and women at low points in their lives who are driven to extremes because of their sense of not having enough—of belonging, identity, acceptance, understanding, uniqueness, freedom, wealth, success, and/or love.
“In your dreams you escaped the prison of your circumstances.” But repeatedly these earnest, yearning characters refuse to rely only on their dreams to escape the prison of their circumstances and they often make poor choices and bad mistakes as they strive toward “bigger, brighter” versions of themselves. These are vivid, sensory and imaginative stories (loved all the food details and inventive scenarios) rich with original similes and imagery. Stories that allowed me to empathize with unique and diverse characters and their dilemmas—something we need to experience much more of in books and writing.
April 8, 2020
“...a flock of cranes rose from the lake, startling them all. Their magnificence proof of God. Necks extended, pointing like arrows to the heavens. Wings powerful and beating in time to his heart. Why shouldn't soaring precede every fall?”
Wow! Another new voice in the short fiction world and she completely dazzles with this excellent story collection. These are immigrant tales, mostly Asian Americans dealing with the experience of adapting to life in the San Francisco area. Navigating, with varying success to adjust and still stay connected with their heritage. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars
Wow! Another new voice in the short fiction world and she completely dazzles with this excellent story collection. These are immigrant tales, mostly Asian Americans dealing with the experience of adapting to life in the San Francisco area. Navigating, with varying success to adjust and still stay connected with their heritage. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars
June 20, 2017
I don't often read short stories (am more of a novel and essay junkie), but I was deeply drawn to the characters and narratives in this collection. Hua is a talented writer whose insights into immigrant and identity politics build stories that resonate well beyond the page -- I'm now counting down the days until her novels are published!
These stories speak with intimacy about the shared human experience of feeling like an outsider, of young love, of spiritual quest. All of the characters, like us, are flawed but seeking a form of redemption just beyond grasp. Take this collection with you on a journey or cozy up on a Sunday afternoon to fall into the tantalizing grip of Hua's prose - and who wouldn't love a writer who writes so viscerally about lychees?
A tempting bite, from the story of Old Wu: “Juicy and sweet, its flesh snowy-white. He spit the shiny pit into his cupped palm, and he had another, savoring the sweetness of sultry summer nights. His mother used to peel lychees for him, digging in her thumbnail to break the flesh. Long ago, the emperor’s concubine had pined for the taste in winter. With lychees crammed into saddlebags, imperial soldiers galloped north, handing off the precious cargo to the next rider each time the horse tired, completing the journey of two weeks in two days.”
Hua is a writer to watch - excited for more to come!
These stories speak with intimacy about the shared human experience of feeling like an outsider, of young love, of spiritual quest. All of the characters, like us, are flawed but seeking a form of redemption just beyond grasp. Take this collection with you on a journey or cozy up on a Sunday afternoon to fall into the tantalizing grip of Hua's prose - and who wouldn't love a writer who writes so viscerally about lychees?
A tempting bite, from the story of Old Wu: “Juicy and sweet, its flesh snowy-white. He spit the shiny pit into his cupped palm, and he had another, savoring the sweetness of sultry summer nights. His mother used to peel lychees for him, digging in her thumbnail to break the flesh. Long ago, the emperor’s concubine had pined for the taste in winter. With lychees crammed into saddlebags, imperial soldiers galloped north, handing off the precious cargo to the next rider each time the horse tired, completing the journey of two weeks in two days.”
Hua is a writer to watch - excited for more to come!
January 7, 2018
An enjoyable collection of short stories. While the underlying theme is deception, the stories cover a wide spectrum of topics including infidelity, 'coming out of the closet', charity and even a desire for kids. Hua manages to maintain a palpable sense of tension throughout. The first story is obviously based on the real-life sex photo scandal of Hong Kong celebrity Edison Chen.
One thing I noticed, the writing seemed to get stronger as the stories progressed. It seemed to me, as I was reading, that there was a gradual but notable change in style, to the extent that I would believe it if told the later stories were written by a different person. Then in the "Acknowledgments" at the end, Hua states that the stories were written over a span of more than a decade. I wonder if this had anything to do with it and if the stories were presented in a chronological order, according to when they were written. A commendable debut.
One thing I noticed, the writing seemed to get stronger as the stories progressed. It seemed to me, as I was reading, that there was a gradual but notable change in style, to the extent that I would believe it if told the later stories were written by a different person. Then in the "Acknowledgments" at the end, Hua states that the stories were written over a span of more than a decade. I wonder if this had anything to do with it and if the stories were presented in a chronological order, according to when they were written. A commendable debut.
March 4, 2020
Loved this set of short stories! They're clever and thought provoking. I found each story sucked me in and after finishing it, I needed to pause and really ponder the story and some unsettled feelings. This would be a perfect book to discuss in a book club.
July 12, 2016
There came a moment during my reading of these stories that the "Chinese-American" overlay of the stories faded away and I started experiencing an immersion in the narrative that occurs when you start identifying with the characters. This kind of writing is not easy to do, but when done well, as it is here, seems so beguilingly seductive. The characters in these stories are almost all looking for something. It is not identity so much as belonging. They look for belonging in God, in nature, in status, in relationships, in family, and in love. They don't often find it, but you experience their ache and their need with them. I have been a fan of Vanessa's work since hearing her at LitQuake in San Francisco and this debut is a worthy testament to her talents. Loaves and Fishes was my favorite in this collection, an almost perfect reinterpretation of Biblical myth. These are stories to be savored and enjoyed. I received an advanced copy with no expectation of a review.
December 17, 2017
Five stars for the title alone. Five stars retained for the subversively funny, compassionate-yet-unflinching stories of outsiders, people who want, people who don’t get what they want, people who flee from, people who flee to, people who are wholly recognized and by Hua as people, which should not be as radical as it somehow feels.
August 2, 2020
I think I'm missing something here, since everyone else seems to like this collection of short stories. But Hua's writing was heavy-handed and explicitly moral, with plot twists to cover for a lack of writing style. As the title would suggest, all stories involve people engaged in acts of deception; what that means is everyone sucks, and you will like none of the characters.
More importantly, this book is chock full of Asian stereotypes; if a white person had written this book, it would simply be dubbed racist. Since Hua is Asian American, it seems to be some kind of internalized self loathing. There are rich international students cheating their way through college, paying for essays in Louis Vuitton bags. There are Asian parents who *insist* that engineering is the only correct career, and cut their children out of their lives because they can't stand the concept of an interracial marriage. Hua throws around acronyms like ABC and FOB - and it's a fascinating choice that she does not explain what these acronyms mean, but feels a need to translate every two-word Mandarin phrase for her (presumably white) readers.
Who is consuming this book, and why? It is the literary version of a fortune cookie or California roll, and no amount of reference to dim sum or Berkeley landmarks can save the jilted writing and lazy content.
More importantly, this book is chock full of Asian stereotypes; if a white person had written this book, it would simply be dubbed racist. Since Hua is Asian American, it seems to be some kind of internalized self loathing. There are rich international students cheating their way through college, paying for essays in Louis Vuitton bags. There are Asian parents who *insist* that engineering is the only correct career, and cut their children out of their lives because they can't stand the concept of an interracial marriage. Hua throws around acronyms like ABC and FOB - and it's a fascinating choice that she does not explain what these acronyms mean, but feels a need to translate every two-word Mandarin phrase for her (presumably white) readers.
Who is consuming this book, and why? It is the literary version of a fortune cookie or California roll, and no amount of reference to dim sum or Berkeley landmarks can save the jilted writing and lazy content.
April 19, 2017
I enjoy short stories but haven't read an entire collection in several years, so I approached "Deceit" warily, expecting to pick it up and read a story here and there over the course of a couple of months or even a year. Happy to report that any lingering skepticism had entirely vanished within the opening pages. I read the whole collection within a week. It's a different sort of pleasure than reading a novel: one experiences the pang of loss upon reaching the end of a satsifying story while feeling the delicious excitement of anticipation for the mysterious new story that awaits. Each story is utterly different than the others, but they sing with common resonance, like chimes.
October 12, 2016
Hua's stories, portraying the lives of first- and second-generation Americans, are full of vivid images, heartbreaking dilemmas, and truly poetic language.
From a young boy who sees his immigrant family fracturing under the weight of disappointed dreams; to a pastor whose lies are endangering not only his church, but the African village he is on a mission to help—these characters do not cease to captivate.
From a young boy who sees his immigrant family fracturing under the weight of disappointed dreams; to a pastor whose lies are endangering not only his church, but the African village he is on a mission to help—these characters do not cease to captivate.
April 13, 2017
Every story in this collection is worth poring over, from its chosen setting--an airplane; a village in Africa; a campground--to its characters.
Hua genuinely understands the need for every word to count. She explores the conceit of immigrant life from varied angles in this book, and never disappoints. Pick this one up. You won't be sorry. I read one or two each night before I went to bed and found myself looking at people in different ways each following day.
Hua genuinely understands the need for every word to count. She explores the conceit of immigrant life from varied angles in this book, and never disappoints. Pick this one up. You won't be sorry. I read one or two each night before I went to bed and found myself looking at people in different ways each following day.
March 19, 2021
I really wanted to like this.
There were so many stories with so many unique messages to be said.
But after the first couple of stories, each one was shallow, predictable, and the writing style is rushed?
The stories had potential to be great. However I feel like every character was only two-dimensional because their story was rushed. There wasn’t much depth. (Or the author just went too deep too fast without enough build up)
Also the reoccurring theme of evangelism was kind of awkward.
I wish the number of stories in this book was slashed to half- that way the stories could have been longer and characters could develop more depth and individuality that stories of this theme deserve.
There were so many stories with so many unique messages to be said.
But after the first couple of stories, each one was shallow, predictable, and the writing style is rushed?
The stories had potential to be great. However I feel like every character was only two-dimensional because their story was rushed. There wasn’t much depth. (Or the author just went too deep too fast without enough build up)
Also the reoccurring theme of evangelism was kind of awkward.
I wish the number of stories in this book was slashed to half- that way the stories could have been longer and characters could develop more depth and individuality that stories of this theme deserve.
October 23, 2017
All the stories were subtly dark, and all the characters seemed to be struggling with some sort of embarrassment.
February 28, 2024
A nice collection of stories, some more engaging than others and all with the common thread of the Asian American experience from various perspectives.
February 21, 2020
*I won this book from a Goodreads first-reads giveaway
Short stories are not my genre of choice however I was intrigued by the synopsis I read and was very pleased to have had the chance to read this. This book contains collections of short stories that deal with numerous topics such as infidelity, plagiarism, dilemmas, heartbreak and so much more. Each story deals with immigrant life in the Bay Area of CA. Every character is well derived and tells a fascinating story.
Short stories are not my genre of choice however I was intrigued by the synopsis I read and was very pleased to have had the chance to read this. This book contains collections of short stories that deal with numerous topics such as infidelity, plagiarism, dilemmas, heartbreak and so much more. Each story deals with immigrant life in the Bay Area of CA. Every character is well derived and tells a fascinating story.
January 2, 2017
This gem of a short story collection was so beautifully conceived and written. I loved how how the characters were often people or types you might have read about in news stories, such as the Asian-American who finds stardom in Asia, the everyday person whose poor judgment embroils them in a shooting, the girl who feigned an acceptance at Stanford and spent a quarter there faking it. Hua humanizes them, helps you understand how and why they make the decisions they do. The writing was spare, without an extraneous word, the metaphors perfect, as when the Stanford "student" said her ability to leap into the window made her a "debutante but for the stench of dirt and sweat." Though Hua tackles some heavy topics -- divorce, infidelity, homophobia -- she writes with a wry wit that makes the stories a pleasure to read. You could do no better than to spend a few days with these thought-provoking but enjoyable stories.
February 5, 2020
Thank you to Counterpoint Press for sending me a copy of the 2020 resissue in exchange for an honest review.
Vanessa Hua is back! First published in 2016, Deceit and Other Possibilities is re-released with new stories. This is a powerful collection of immigrant stories that investigates identity and one's duty to family and tradition.
This was such a moving collection of short stories. As the name suggests, the main theme is deception. Deception comes in all forms, sometimes deceiving oneself because you're not ready for the truth. While the stories are all independent of each other, some feature recurring characters that weave a bigger story together.
The stories are quite diverse. Protagonists are of all ages and include immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, and Mexico. Hua also explores being LGBTQIA in a family that does not accept your sexual orientation. I was deeply immersed into the stories and was sad when each ended. Despite preferring novels, I'm extremely glad I could get snapshots of these characters' lives and struggles.
Vanessa Hua is back! First published in 2016, Deceit and Other Possibilities is re-released with new stories. This is a powerful collection of immigrant stories that investigates identity and one's duty to family and tradition.
This was such a moving collection of short stories. As the name suggests, the main theme is deception. Deception comes in all forms, sometimes deceiving oneself because you're not ready for the truth. While the stories are all independent of each other, some feature recurring characters that weave a bigger story together.
The stories are quite diverse. Protagonists are of all ages and include immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, and Mexico. Hua also explores being LGBTQIA in a family that does not accept your sexual orientation. I was deeply immersed into the stories and was sad when each ended. Despite preferring novels, I'm extremely glad I could get snapshots of these characters' lives and struggles.
March 18, 2020
This book is brilliant!
December 18, 2016
I stared at the cover of Deceit and Other Possibilities for weeks before having a quiet stretch to dip in. The title was a riddle, almost an oxymoron. The mirror images of cranes was starkly beautiful and slightly creepy.
What I found behind the cover was equally intriguing. There was the novelty of the characters. I was meeting such people, it seemed, for the first time in fiction. These mostly Asian-American protagonists explore the “American” side of that equation. Many have immigrant parents (or, in one case, parents who were interned in WW II) but are themselves grounded in the bourgeois habits of the greater Bay Area.
Hua’s stance toward her characters is sometimes wry, sometimes detached, but always sympathetic. For the most part, the writing is precise, unadorned, unsentimental. Occasionally, carefully, she lets it soar, as in the final image of cranes in “The Deal.”
My favorite story, though, is “Harte Lake.” All the themes resurface here—not just deceit, but also loss, hurt, betrayal, grit, and a certain uncertainty about the self. But in the final moment of the story, and in the ambiguous name of the lake, we also get a dose of redemption.
What I found behind the cover was equally intriguing. There was the novelty of the characters. I was meeting such people, it seemed, for the first time in fiction. These mostly Asian-American protagonists explore the “American” side of that equation. Many have immigrant parents (or, in one case, parents who were interned in WW II) but are themselves grounded in the bourgeois habits of the greater Bay Area.
Hua’s stance toward her characters is sometimes wry, sometimes detached, but always sympathetic. For the most part, the writing is precise, unadorned, unsentimental. Occasionally, carefully, she lets it soar, as in the final image of cranes in “The Deal.”
My favorite story, though, is “Harte Lake.” All the themes resurface here—not just deceit, but also loss, hurt, betrayal, grit, and a certain uncertainty about the self. But in the final moment of the story, and in the ambiguous name of the lake, we also get a dose of redemption.
November 26, 2016
vanessa hua's debut short story collection is an amalgam of bay area lives that touch but never once blur. her character's run a gamut between the super celuloid sex scandals of a Hong Kong reality star, a half closetted, half-Chinese-San-Francisco queer couple, a teenaged Mexican Dreamer in the Castro watching his mother choose tradition and loyalty over other possibilities, and Chinese software engineers between Visas roughing it in the redwoods, and that's just a few of Deceit's highly compelling characters. but if hua's unique story lines share one common thread, it's the human desire, shown in the reinvention of immigrant stories, to reveal only that which can be loved. deceit in hua's collection is an act of love, the way we hide from one another as we try to be what the other most needs. love in hua's Deceit is wary and aware. from FOBs through the second generation, in hua, deceit is the first stop on the road to out.
April 28, 2021
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
In Hua’s stories about Asian American immigrants, imposters, and—of course—multi-gen to newly-converted Christians, I feel very seen. Bonus, they’re funny (but maybe not purposefully so)
Faves: what we have is what we need / Harte lake / room at the table (I swear, Grace’s father = my great uncle) / just like us / for what they shared
Didn’t like: Line, Please / loaves and fishes (might’ve been the funniest two, though). Also the deal, but the last paragraph was my very favorite in the whole collection, so now...I like it
“a flock of cranes rose from the lake, startling them all. Their magnificence proof of God. Necks extended, pointing like arrows to the heavens. Wings powerful and beating in time to his heart. Why shouldn’t soaring precede every fall?” I’m WEEPING !
In Hua’s stories about Asian American immigrants, imposters, and—of course—multi-gen to newly-converted Christians, I feel very seen. Bonus, they’re funny (but maybe not purposefully so)
Faves: what we have is what we need / Harte lake / room at the table (I swear, Grace’s father = my great uncle) / just like us / for what they shared
Didn’t like: Line, Please / loaves and fishes (might’ve been the funniest two, though). Also the deal, but the last paragraph was my very favorite in the whole collection, so now...I like it
“a flock of cranes rose from the lake, startling them all. Their magnificence proof of God. Necks extended, pointing like arrows to the heavens. Wings powerful and beating in time to his heart. Why shouldn’t soaring precede every fall?” I’m WEEPING !
September 25, 2016
This is a fantastic collection, diverse but thematically whole, way more than the sum of its parts. In examining the experience of first-generation Chinese Americans, who are stuck at the intersection of their heritage and the demands of their present, Hua shines surprising spotlights at the fissures of the quotidian. While that might sound shoe-gazing, these stories are very propulsive and often quite suspenseful. Hua applies just the right amount of pressure to launch both the characters and readers into unexpected situations. "Line, Please," the first story, is a personal favorite, and will show you why this collection is getting so much attention.
September 29, 2016
Deceit and Other Possibilites is an engaging and heart-wrenching collection of stories that provide a glimpse of life as an immigrant in America today. Covering a wide range of characters found in difficult situations across the globe, Hua's attention to detail and love for her characters make it easy for the reader to become immersed in the stories as they unfold. I am looking forward to reading more of Vanessa Hua's work.
September 28, 2016
With stunning language, suspenseful plot twists and candor, Hu’s short story collection follows characters desperate for acceptance in an America that marginalizes too many. Some resort to secrets and explosive acts, yet in the end they draw on great strength and survive like the cranes who” rise toward the horizon.” A fascinating read!
November 6, 2016
Laughed often reading "Loaves and Fishes," got teary-eyed from "What We Have Is What We Need," and felt goosebumps at the end of "Harte Lake." This engrossing and wise story collections is one of my new favorites, joining Lysley Tenorio's Monstress and Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies on my list of must-reads.
August 10, 2016
An amazing and well written collection. Really enjoyed it!
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