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Simon Han's debut novel, Nights When Nothing Happened, is a beautifully written and keenly observant literary telling of the Cheng family and their immigration to Plano, Texas from China. They selected Plano because of its reputation for safety, but the constant safety reminders at the school and pretty much everywhere they inhabit infiltrates their lives. Is Plano really safer than China? Plus, father Liang and daughter Annabel both have sleeping disorders which affect mother Patty and brother Jack. When Jack discovers that his sister sleepwalks, finding her down the street from their house late one night, we eventually discover the many secrets of the Cheng family, much of which is unpleasant. Is assimilation in America possible for this family? And did they make the right choice to move to Plano?
The story is told in third person but gives the perspective of all four family members. Brother Jack remembers living in China until he was six and feels he's his little sister's protector. Annabel may be struggling with another girl at school who is bullying her; or is she the tormentor? Mother Patty works very long hours with unsympathetic coworkers and suffers guilt from being absent to her kids and husband. And father Liang still struggles with English and night terrors, a lingering effect from a traumatizing childhood. These things add to the family's trouble with assimilating into the Plano community. When a misunderstanding happens at a Thanksgiving party, the aftermath could tear their family apart.
Han is a very astute observer and skilled literary writer. His observations of the suburban community sear through the fake niceties and accoutrements of suburban life. His sympathetic and ethereal narration of the family's struggles is a marvel to read. Han makes some brave choices in telling this story, too, often skipping over details or scenes that a less skilled writer would dive wholeheartedly into, bogging down the narrative. My only misgiving about the novel is the ending, which could have provided a little more room to breathe as a coda.
I enjoyed this novel and I recommend it. I would give it 4 stars.
