The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma
Really enjoyed this book. It is set in the Sunset District of SF and follows the story of a naïve young guy, Shelley, from China who comes to the US hoping to strike it rich as a poet and impress his wealthy American girlfriend by writing three poems. After a brief bout of homelessness, his extended family takes him in. He has a very pragmatic but hopeful outlook. Themes include recovering from grief, found family, the horrors of poverty and immigration, growth for characters of all ages. And it is written with a humorous and honest tone. It's set around 2010 and reads a bit like historical fiction from that time period, so there are some throwback things like queer characters who got married at SF City Hall before it was officially legalized, the Bay Bridge still being rebuilt. And a fun read because he is just SO naive at times and, like, you know things are gonna maybe not go the way he thinks, but he's so hopeful you still kinda hope they do too. He's constantly referencing "the Chinese groove," which means like social massaging and unspoken truths.
Ultimately a light read with heavy moments, surprising turns but in the way that life is surprising.
I think I related to the main character being a young optimist who doesn't really lose that optimism, but also learns how to navigate the world.
And I liked that it was pretty overtly political, but in the way where it was just very honest. Not the main themes of the book, but the characters are very impacted by inequity in the world, and Shelley's English teacher overtly does talk about the atrocities of American history.