Booksmith is thrilled to host the inimitable Kathryn Ma for the launch of her new novel, The Chinese Groove. She will be in conversation with Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim and American Chinatown. Join us!

PLEASE NOTE: This event is SOLD OUT. We may have additional tickets available at the door, and if so those will be released at 7:15pm on a first-come, first-served basis, with walk-ups having no guarantee of admission. If you would like a signed, personalized copy of The Chinese Groove order here (and/or for any of Kathryn's other books, here) and we will hold them for pickup at the shop or send them directly to you.

Please note:

• Safety: ID and proof of full vaccination, including at least one booster shot, will be required at the door. Masks will be required throughout the duration of the event and capacity will be limited to allow indoor distancing. 
• Because we’re limiting capacity, we can't guarantee we'll have space for walk-ins. Free seats have all been reserved, so the best way to ensure you’ll get a seat is to order the Book + Seat ticket through this link. If we don't sell out in advance, remaining seats will be available for free on a first come, first served basis with no guarantee of admission for walk-ups.
• We are happy to offer *signed copies* of The Chinese Groove: order a Book + Seat ticket bundle if you'd like to pick up a signed copy at the event, or order here if you just want a signed copy.
• Order copies of Bonnie Tsui's books here.
• If we feel it is not safe to gather, as the event gets closer, we will pivot to a virtual event and your registration will remain valid.
• Questions? Write events@booksmith.com.

About the book

Eighteen-year-old Shelley, born into a much-despised branch of the Zheng family in Yunnan Province and living in the shadow of his widowed father’s grief, dreams of bigger things. Buoyed by an exuberant heart and his cousin Deng’s tall tales about the United States, Shelley heads to San Francisco to claim his destiny, confident that any hurdles will be easily overcome by the awesome powers of the “Chinese groove,” a belief in the unspoken bonds between countrymen that transcend time and borders.

Upon arrival, Shelley is dismayed to find that his “rich uncle” is in fact his unemployed second cousin once removed and that the grand guest room he’d envisioned is but a scratchy sofa. The indefinite stay he’d planned for? That has a firm two-week expiration date. Even worse, the loving family he hoped would embrace him is in shambles, shattered by a senseless tragedy that has cleaved the family in two. They want nothing to do with this youthful bounder who’s barged into their lives. Ever the optimist, Shelley concocts a plan to resuscitate his American dream by insinuating himself into the family. And, who knows, maybe he’ll even manage to bring them back together in the process.

About the authors

Kathryn Ma is the author of the widely praised novel The Year She Left Us, which was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and an NPR “Great Read” of the year. Her short story collection, All That Work and Still No Boys, won the Iowa Short Fiction Award and was named a San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Discoveries Book. She is also a recipient of the David Nathan Meyerson Prize for Fiction and has twice been named a San Francisco Public Library Laureate. Author photo by Andria Lo.

Bonnie Tsui is a longtime contributor to The New York Times and the author of American Chinatown, winner of the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Her latest book, Why We Swim, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a Time magazine and NPR Best Book of 2020; it is currently being translated into nine languages. Her first children’s book, Sarah and the Big Wave, about the first woman to surf Northern California’s Mavericks, was published last year. Her work has been recognized and supported by Harvard University, the National Press Foundation, and the Mesa Refuge. Photo courtesy the author.

Please note:

• Safety: ID and proof of full vaccination, including at least one booster shot, will be required at the door. Masks will be required throughout the duration of the event and capacity will be limited to allow indoor distancing. 
• Because we’re limiting capacity, we can't guarantee we'll have space for walk-ins. Free seats have all been reserved, so the best way to ensure you’ll get a seat is to order the Book + Seat ticket through this link. If we don't sell out in advance, remaining seats will be available for free on a first come, first served basis with no guarantee of admission for walk-ups.
• We are happy to offer *signed copies* of The Chinese Groove: order a Book + Seat ticket bundle if you'd like to pick up a signed copy at the event, or order here if you just want a signed copy.
• Order copies of Bonnie Tsui's books here.
• If we feel it is not safe to gather, as the event gets closer, we will pivot to a virtual event and your registration will remain valid.
• Questions? Write events@booksmith.com.