Super Short Summary

Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates follows young Su-Jen Chou, later called Annie, as she and her mother move from China to join her father in a small Ontario town in 1957. They manage a Chinese restaurant, face cultural clashes, and struggle with familial discord. Annie befriends a mature girl named Charlotte and navigates the complexities of growing up amidst familial and cultural tensions. The novel examines the immigrant experience, with themes of identity, duty, and intergenerational conflict. This book contains sensitive topics, including immigration struggles, family separation, domestic conflict, and racial discrimination.