Conversation & Book Signing with R.F. Kuang!

Joie de livres is honoured and thrilled to welcome fans of R. F. Kuang for a discussion with the author in celebration of the release of her upcoming novel, Taipei Story!

Tickets include your seat at the event + one (1) pre-signed deluxe limited edition copy of Taipei Story. Seating will be determined on a first-come, first served basis.

Please note:

• Rebecca can personalize only one book per person—either a pre-signed copy of Taipei Story or one (1) backlist title.

• Additional copies of Taipei Story as well as backlist titles will be available for sale on site in limited quantities.

• No photos are allowed in the signing line.

About the book

This limited deluxe hardcover features gorgeous stenciled edges – available on the first printing only!

From R.F. Kuang, the acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author of Katabasis and Yellowface, comes a wryly humorous and profoundly moving coming-of-age novel that grapples with grief, language, and culture shock—all set against the backdrop of an unforgettable summer in Taipei.

College freshman Lily Chen is off to spend the summer in Taipei at an intensive language program like so many Chinese American students before her, hoping to connect with the culture she inherited but never fully understood. But a promising start quickly unravels. Her classes are grueling, her roommate is driving her insane, and a reckless trip to the hot springs with a guy she barely knows soon has her classmates viciously gossiping. She feels adrift, a foreigner in a country she thought would feel like home.

Then shocking news arrives: Lily’s grandfather has passed away. The loss forces her to grapple with now-unanswerable questions about her family history. As Lily grieves, she’s drawn into a journey of self-discovery—piecing together memories, stories, and silences over a series of hilarious and devastating attempts at connection.

Taipei Story asks: What if the diaspora fantasy of homecoming never comes true? What if learning a language can’t bring you any closer to the people you’re trying to reach? What if you search for your family’s history, but your family doesn’t want to share? What if you wait too long to ask the right questions? As Lily struggles for answers, her summer becomes a poignant search for understanding—of herself, her family, and the meaning of home.