The Year of the Dog (review)

Episodic short chapters follow Grace (Pacy at her Taiwanese-American home) through the Year of the Dog, as she enjoys the celebrations, makes friends with a new girl (the first Taiwanese or even Chinese classmate she's had), visits with family, and prepares her own book for entry in a publishing contest for kids. An author's note explains that this is largely based on her own childhood, and there is unsurprisingly a somewhat old-fashioned feel to the narrative and events as a consequence. Lin also notes her youthful fondness for Carolyn Haywood, and the book's sedate pacing and quiet domesticity definitely echoes Haywood's; the episodes would, in fact, benefit from a little more energy and a little more overarching narrative thrust and continuity (Grace's friend Becky pretty much drops out of the story without explanation when the new girl arrives). The book is strong in the classic virtues of accessibility and warmth, however, and it's unusual to see that tradition combined with an insider story of a second-culture family (lively interpolated stories often give glimpses into Grace's mother's very different youth and immigrant experience); it's nice to see a book where second-culture identity is part of an everyday-life narrative rather than a problem novel. Short, easy chapters make this additionally suitable for reading aloud to younger audiences, and readers will find this a comradely, if somewhat bland, look into one girl's year. Tidy, solidly lined drawings, seemingly created by the narrator, pop up in margins and chapter headings throughout and enhance the book's approachability.