I was blown away by Gina Chung’s debut novel, Sea Change. Chung’s writing is so warm and charming, and this continues in her wonderful story collection, Green Frog.
The opening, titular story is a wonderful snapshot of a character and a life. It’s a sweet tale about a young lady who has lost her mother, dropped out of art school, and is trying to figure things out while working at her father’s restaurant. A wonderful snapshot of a character and a life.
There are a couple of striking, dystopian stories that really stand out. Presence involves a woman dealing with the downfall of a company that allows people to erase memories. Attachment Processes sees a couple creating a lifelike replica of their dead child; a sad but strangely hopeful story.
A strong theme throughout the stories is family, and how we deal with those we are raised to love. From the unconventional Human Hearts, where a lesser daughter is sent to avenge her sister’s death, to The Arrow, where a pregnancy brings together an estranged mother and daughter.
The Fruits of Sin is possibly my favorite of the collection, in which a group of judgemental church-going ladies are transformed by the vicar’s daughter’s unexpected pregnancy. A really moving story about the power of community and motherhood.
The quality of all these stories is staggering. Chung is a natural storyteller. Her prose is simple, and often moving. She focuses on creating female characters with real depth and substance. I cannot recommend this collection highly enough.
Green Frog is out now! Thanks to Vintage for the ARC.
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