From the judges’ citation: “The stories in Mimi Lok’s Last of Her Name are more than just deeply felt, richly imagined, and darkly comic; they feel necessary. In these pages, we find fractals. The microscopic contains the macro. The collection ranges all over our globe while distilling breathtaking, tiny moments of tremendous significance…astonishing intimacy and emotional acuity, a determination in each instance to locate that which is most true and most human.”

“Lok has written the kind of understated book you catch yourself thinking about weeks after you finish it. Absorbing and deeply human, these characters — who either live in China or are of the Chinese diaspora — feel more like people you might’ve known than like fictitious renderings of Lok’s imagination. A pleasure to read and mull over for days.”

“A beautiful and perceptive look at the connections we make — and fail to make — with family, friends and strangers. Lok's literary debut is among the strongest of the year, thanks to her excellent writing and uncanny ability to create complex characters with the same stubborn flaws as real people.”

“These stories are tough, gorgeous and humane. They feel universal and also deeply specific. I loved the brash intelligence, the way this debut collection can be fun, funny and incredibly serious.”

“[An] impressive debut. . . . Lok is an expert at peeking into the souls of those who have been displaced or disregarded. . . . this touching collection is easy to pick up and hard to put down.”

“(Lok’s) stories are insightful, painfully honest and deeply unsettling — a dynamite combination in a new writer on the scene.” (WARNING: ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS)

“Through eight provocative stories, Lok’s sharp gaze transforms disconnection and longing with compelling results.”

“This intelligent debut collection of short stories features Chinese people around the globe struggling to connect with those closest to them.”

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