Welcome to Season 6, Episode 5! Our guest today is XiXi Tian who is both a lawyer and acclaimed author. Her latest work is the novel All the Way Around the Sun, a YA Romance that focuses on themes of belonging, identity, and overcoming trauma. In it, the main character Stella, a Chinese-American protagonist who's forced into a college roadtrip with her childhood friend turned rival. Their complicated history is made even more difficult as Stella navigates how to overcome the grief of a recent family tragedy. We love how it's a complex story with some familiar themes, and really showcases the difficulties of expectations, both internal and external, that can create familial habits and routines. And these habits can actually be a hindrance to facing and overcoming grief. XiXi Tian was born in China and immigrated to the United States when she was a year old. After college, which included Harvard Law School, she decided to pursue her love of writing and published her first novel, This Place is Still Beautiful, a story about two Chinese-American sisters who respond to a racist attack against their home. To learn more about XiXi, you can visit her at xixiwrites.com, follow her on Instagram @xixiwrites, and of course buy All the Way Around the Sun or This Place is Still Beautiful. Enjoy the conversation! If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected].