Fae Myanne Ng, who was last heard from in 1994 with her novel Bone—short stories in smart magazines like Harper’s excepted—sets her new story in ‘60s San Francisco, offering up a story of Chinese life in America that juxtaposes old and new China. In her tale, butcher Jack Moon Szeto woos Joice Qwan when his “paper wife” arrives from China—a complication that propels this narrative. According to Robert Stone:

…Ng confirms the extraordinary talent she displayed in Bone. She makes brilliant use of economy; her characterizations are flawless, never overdone. She creates a world of people whose lives are centered in bonds and promises, who live without great expectation but with hope and strength of will. Steer Toward Rock is richly and beautifully crafted by virtue of the author’s skill. It is a fine, rewarding novel.