For years, the residents of Lake Haven, Wisconsin ignored the whispered troubles about the Chao family, if only to keep eating at the best restaurant in town. But when tyrannical patriarch 'Big' Leo Chao is found frozen to death in the family's meat freezer, scandalous events force the community to turn its attention to the three Chao sons. Dagou - presupposed heir to the business. Ming - succesful banker, determined to sever ties with Haven's Asian community once and for all. James - naive college student, who is only just learning of his family's past. As the family's dog mysteriously disappears, and Dagou 'Dog Eater' Chao is held on trial for his father's murder, the Chaos' turbulent history spills into the public eye, and a small town looks on in disbelief. . .

"Chang's prose moves with the unfussy ease of a shark through water - for the longest time you are just enjoying your swim, soaking up the story. Only midway through the book does it occur to you that a master hunter is at work: a writer cutting through the darker depths of what it means to be treated as an outsider in America" - The Guardian

"At times scathing and hilarious, the rollicking tale considers the thorny themes of assimilation, identity, pride, filial piety, transracial adoption, and interracial relationships. It's a fine chaos indeed; you'll never look at Chinese restaurant families the same" - Vogue

"Chang's entertaining portrait of a "clusterf**k" Chinese-American family, one riven by its own jealousies and secrets, is also a memorable expose of the dark undercurrents of small-town morality" - The Independent

"'A drama of family conflicts and intrigues; an insightful comedy of the American immigrant experience, and of a small town's inner workings. The creation of characters through dialogue is worthy of a great playwright'" - John Irving

"Skewer[s] - with tart humour - cultural myths about assimilation and model migrant families" - The Daily Mail

"Lan Samantha Chang's book is a mash-up of literary mystery, social commentary and romantic comedy...She is a perceptive, witty writer who revels in the mess of this dysfunctional family" - The Irish Times (Book of the Day)

"An addictive read" - Stylist

"..an ingenious and cunning reboot of Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. The harrowing and humorous family drama is wrapped in a murder mystery...timely, trenchant, and thoroughly entertaining" - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Lan Samantha Chang is a masterful writer, and this novel has it all... Funny, heartbreaking, and layered with emotion, Chang's latest book is definitely one to keep in mind for book club next year" - Book Riot

"...suspenseful... [a] literary mystery that is also a compelling immigrant family saga" - Oprah Daily

"..perfect for those who wish SUCCESSION was about a murder" - CrimeReads

"Reminiscent of the work of the wonderful Celeste Ng, The Family Chao is a sprawling, powerful novel of love, hatred, loss and belonging" - The Irish Times

"A death in a small town restaurant sets off a delicious tale of Chinese American family turmoil... A smart and entertaining book about Chinese-American family turmoil that's structured as a contemporary reimagining of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov... [includes] superb feinting and clue-dropping about who finally turns out to be the Chao-killing Chao" - Financial Times