Mona in the Promised Land
Gish Jen's second novel is populated by characters who "switch" ethnicity almost as if they were changing their hairstyles. The main character, Mona Chang, whose parents were featured in Jen's first effort,Typical American, acts Chinese for her American schoolmates and then converts to Judaism and becomes known as Changowitz. Then there's Naomi, a black woman who teaches Mona's Chinese-American sister about being Chinese. Jen's casual style and deftness with different voices make this a rich and compelling novel.