Super Short Summary

Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen follows Chinese American teenager Mona Chang, whose family moves to the predominantly Jewish suburb of Scarshill in the late 1960s. Fascinated by her new cultural surroundings, Mona converts to Judaism against her parents' wishes and navigates the complexities of her dual identity, while dealing with typical teenage concerns and larger sociopolitical undercurrents. This book includes sensitive discussions of race, cultural identity, and the impact of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement.