In conversation with Melissa Gonzales
Real Americans, by Rachel Khong, begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City, when Lily Chen, an unpaid intern at a media company, meets Matthew, an effortlessly attractive East Coaster who is also heir to a pharmaceutical empire. Lily could not be more different: broke, raised in Tampa, and the only child of scientists who fled Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Despite their differences, Lily and Matthew fall in love.
In 2021 teenaged Nick Chen, who lives with his single mom, sets out to find his biological father, a journey that threatens to raise more questions than answers. In immersive, moving prose, Rachel Khong weaves a profound tale of race, visibility, and family, rendering a story of trust, forgiveness, and finally coming home.
Rachel Khong is the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, Vogue, Esquire, and more, and slated to become a feature film starring Contance Wu. In 2018 she founded The Ruby, a work and event space for women and nonbinary writers and artists in San Francisco’s Mission District.
TICKET PRICES: Public $35, DMA Member/Educator $30, Student $10
