really 3 stars, rounded up b/c debut. Not quite sure what i expected--the back of the book copy is pretty much exactly the book itself. A droll, extremely avoidant asian woman gets divorced from her mid white cheating husband, is diagnosed with cancer, and names her tumor after his husband's new white gf. also, she met her husband at a bar like, 3 days after her mom died (also of breast cancer).

I expected there to be more chatting-with-tumor, unhingedness, and plot, but the book is as avoidant as its protagonist. it consists mostly of daily musings about aloneness, "beginnings", and "endings," 10% basic facts about trees, 10% extremely supportive best friend with whom the protagonist never has conflict, 15% dreams (i really don't care for extended dream sequences in fiction...), 25% tame muted jokes, and 25% various chinese myths she tells to her children as bedtime stories. the weike wang comparison is extremely apt. not a bad book, but it didn't hold my interest.