The Balance Tips by Joy-Huang Iris is the story of a Taiwanese-American queer woman Fay, her mother, aunt, and the unique story of this family. When the family patriarch passes away, Fay's grandmother immigrates to America. The traditional, conservative mindset of the older generation of women in Fay's house stands in contrast to the youthful, inclusive outlook that Fay holds; and this book follows the journey of all these women as they navigate the complexities of family roles, racism, sexual identity, etc.
It always resonates with us how closely related Asian cultures are, oftentimes mirroring even in the prejudices these societies hold. The author captures the characters grappling with their multitude of identities perfectly. It's also interesting to see how the older generations of characters must confront the changing times, reflected in their own family. The stories of immigrant families are always complex and intriguing and The Balance Tips portrays beautifully the culture shock and assimilation that most families undergo.
This book was a quick and easy read. Some writing sections seemed a little experimental and didn't read as smoothly as the rest of the story. Nevertheless, we would greatly recommend checking out The Balance Tips when it releases on 5 October 2021!