Jason Seechin

This book is a chronicle of one family’s inter-generational history, much like a Scottish argyle pattern, but it delves much deeper than that; to the roots where shame begins, the torment of finding your identity, and the highs and lows of the consequences of not being able to choose your family. The temporal revelation of each family member’s journey through their lives is interspersed with the protagonist’s reflection of his own life choices through the entirely original eyes of a jiāngshī. And the fusion works. Sometimes difficult to swallow, often poignant and filled with sorrow, First Name Second Name is a sparkling debut novel. Highly recommended.