Tofu Quilt

Review
By Booklist

In individual, chapter-length selections, Yeung Ying gives a strong sense of her loving family, her vibrant neighborhood, and the impact of specific, life-shaping experiences, all in a spare, believable young voice. Readers will come away with a strong sense of both an individual and a culture, and they’ll appreciate the importance that small, daily details hold in Yeung Ying’s life: a shockingly delicious taste of a dessert becomes the seed that grows into her writing dream, for example. Young people will be inspired by Yeung Ying’s determination to realize her ambition and to find inspiration everywhere, from overheard snatches of apartment-house gossip to quiet family moments: “I always / perk up my ears / for treasures.” A welcome glossary and author’s note add further cultural context.