Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar
Poor David Tan. Things have not gone well for the harried protagonist of Chandra Shekhar’s novel Mock My Words. His position at Steinbeck University, one he thought of as a dream job, leaves him unfulfilled and struggling to connect with students who don’t take him seriously due to his accented English. His colleagues are brusque and cold. His wife, Laura, doesn’t give him enough attention or affection. Melissa, a brilliant student with whom he shares a cultural and emotional connection, suddenly ignores him as well.
Shekhar’s choice to write a novel about Chinese-American identity is interesting and not inherently […]