Green Island 綠島 : A Novel - A Taiwanese Family's Journey Through Revolution and Survival

BEST BOOK AWARD IN FICTION BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES • A stunning, lyrical novel that tells "the story of how the Tsais, a Taiwanese family, survive the 'February 28 Incident' of 1947 and precariously navigate the decades that follow" (The New York Times).

As an uprising rocks Taiwan, a young doctor in Taipei is taken from his newborn daughter by Chinese Nationalists, on charges of speaking out against the government. Although the doctor eventually returns to his family, his arrival is marked by alienation from his loved ones and paranoia among his community. 

Years later, this troubled past follows his youngest daughter to America, where, as a mother and a wife, she too is forced to decide between what is right and what might save her family—the same choice she witnessed her father make many years before. 

The story of a family and a nation grappling with the nuances of complicity and survival, Green Island raises the question: how far would you go for the ones you love?

1. Historical Fiction – The novel is set against the backdrop of real historical events, particularly Taiwan's "February 28 Incident" of 1947 and the political struggles that follow.
2. Family Saga – It tells the multigenerational story of the Tsai family, focusing on their personal and emotional struggles over the decades.
3. Political Fiction – The novel explores themes of government oppression, resistance, and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals and families under authoritarian rule.