Title: Homeseeking
Author: Karissa Chen
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Format Read: Kindle e-book
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
I placed a Libby hold on Homeseeking by Karissa Chen back in November because it came highly recommended by friends, BookBrowse, and other influencers. I finally finished it, nearly eight months later, and it was well worth the wait.
The story begins with Haiwen running into Suchi in Los Angeles in the twilight of their lives. They haven’t seen one another in nearly sixty years. They grew up together in Shanghai and have always loved one another, first platonically and then romantically once they reached their teens. But China was in turmoil during that time, and fate has a way of deciding how to weave life’s threads. Homeseeking beautifully follows Haiwen’s and Suchi’s separate journeys until those threads begin to weave together again, with Suchi’s story unfolding from the past forward and Haiwen’s from the present backward.
This story is epic. Suchi and Haiwen are both compelling, fully realized characters, almost too realistically complicated for their own good. I loved them both. Their neighborhood in Shanghai almost felt like a character in its own right.
The title couldn’t be more fitting, inviting readers to ask, What and where is home, really? Another theme I found especially compelling is the tension between remembering and moving forward. Haiwen holds tightly to the past, while Suchi survives by refusing to look back. The novel doesn’t present either approach as right or wrong. Instead, it explores what each choice gives and what it costs. That tension quietly runs through nearly every chapter. Other notable themes include enduring love, displacement and diaspora, the cost of history, family and duty, resilience, and sacrifice.
Karissa Chen writes with seemingly effortless restraint, allowing ordinary conversations, quiet observations, and the things left unsaid to carry extraordinary emotional weight. Her vivid sense of place and rich cultural detail immerse readers in the lives of the Chinese diaspora, while the novel’s intimate focus on family and love keeps its sweeping historical backdrop deeply personal. Elegant, compassionate, and quietly confident, her writing lingers long after the final page.
The novel is a bit longer than my typical reads at over 500 pages, but it never once felt its length. This is one that will stick with me for years to come. With its intimate storytelling, sweeping historical scope, and emotionally restrained prose, Homeseeking will appeal to readers of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓— a breathtaking historical epic
Click here to learn more about Homeseeking and Karissa Chen.
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I am adding this one to my TBR! So glad you enjoyed it. It does sound very interesting and I love reading about well developed and older characters!
I hope you enjoy it, Lin! 💜 One of my favorite things about it was how fully realized the characters felt. Spending decades with them made their journey all the more moving. I’d love to hear what you think if you end up reading it! 📚
Will definitely let you know when I get to it :)
I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts! 😊 I hope you end up loving it as much as I did. 💜📚