THE CHINESE GROOVE

Narrator James Chen enhances the humor and tenderness of this character-driven literary story. Eighteen-year-old Zheng Xue Li, known as Shelley, is sent from China to the U.S. to live with his supposedly rich uncle, Ted. Upon arriving in San Francisco, Shelley discovers that Ted is actually a poor cousin whom he can stay with for only two weeks. Shelley tackles school, work, and housing challenges with unrelenting optimism and faith in the Chinese groove--an unspoken commitment among compatriots to take care of one another. Chen portrays Shelley with a distinct voice, accented by his native Chinese heritage and infused with a satirical tone. Though some subplots are a bit far-fetched, Chen's embodiment of Shelley's buoyancy and naïveté compels listeners to keep rooting for him. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2023]