I really loved this short story collection!! I was a big fan of the author's debut and enjoyed this book just as much. These stories are smart and interesting and manage to have sharp but cohesive voices in a tight space. The story about the friends growing apart felt achingly relatable and contemporary, and the last story, Alice, is one that will stay with me for a long time. Beautiful.

In a Nutshell: An anthology written in slice-of-life style. Some really good writing herein, but unfortunately, the writing didn’t work as expected for me.

This is a collection of fifteen character-driven stories, all focussed on Chinese or Chinese-American experiences either in China or in the USA. The stories are literary in approach, meaning they focus more on character development than on plot progression. They are also slice-of-life in style, which means we don’t always get a traditional start-middle-end. Both of these factors work well for me in full-length or novella-length fiction, but are a hit-or-miss in short fiction.

Without an author’s note, I couldn’t find a connecting theme to the stories except for the commonality of the Asian background and having a character-driven plot development. The stories cover a range of genres, from dramatic to fantastical. There is an undertone of melancholy to most of the tales. Quite a few explore the complications of humans’ relationships with themselves, with their families, and with outsiders.

The characters always feel like regular and relatable people even though they vary vastly in financial and social backgrounds.

The writing feels experimental at times. One story, for instance, is written in reverse order, with the first sentence providing the ending, and then working backwards with every subsequent sentence until we reach the introduction in the last sentence. This was a challenging but brilliant experience. Another has titled subsections, with each part providing the main story in sequential instalments.

What could have improved my experience with this anthology to a certain extent would have been satisfactory endings to the stories. The endings in many cases cannot be called abrupt endings or open endings. The best I can describe them is as ‘incomplete endings’. The tales felt episodic in nature, but with the final episode missing. I know that character-oriented stories don’t always lend themselves to happy endings or straightforward plots. But as a reader, I do like a certain amount of closure, even if it comes through an open ending, but definitely not by a sudden climax that comes without warning and seals nothing.

I can’t deny the beauty of the author’s writing. There are some brilliant lines in many of the stories, which is not something we often get to see in short fiction. She has the talent, and I would love to try a full-length novel by her to see if she can use that marvellous brain of hers to greater impact in the longer version of storytelling.

As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the fifteen stories, four stories reached or crossed the four star mark. These are:
✤ Li Fan – The story written in reverse. An easy favourite. Loved the innovative writing tactic. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
✤ Cure for Life – The friendship between two supermarket employees suffers because of the age gap. Honestly, I don’t know why I liked this, but I did! 😁 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✤ Persona Development – A daughter takes her duty to her aged parents too far. Almost like a dark comedy with sad undertones. One of the few stories with an ending that made me smile. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✤ Cat Personalities – When you can’t directly gossip about your friends, you gossip about their cats. A fun tale. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Five more stories (‘Unknown by Unknown’, ‘To Get Rich is Glorious’, ‘A Visit’, ‘Phenotype’, and ‘Me and my Algo’) would have been added to the above list if they had provided me with better closure at the end.

In short, beautiful writing, slice-of-life approach, character-oriented storytelling, and sometimes-incomplete endings – these are the factors you ought to keep in mind to check if this anthology will work for you.

Recommended but not to everyone.

3.2 stars, based on the average of my rating for each story.

My thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for the DRC of “Tomb Sweeping”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Tomb Sweeping is a short story collection written by Alexandra Chang. The themes are prominent to concerns that she has over the years she’s spent writing each story. As well as, the story spans from America and across Asia, alongside characters with many different quirks and characteristics.

My favorite stories out of the fifteen were To Be Rich is Glorious, Cure for Life, Me and My Algo, and Flies. To Be Rich is Glorious is the story that stuck with me the most because of how tenacious and ambitious the main character was. FuFu was given a life where she had to live up to the expectations set and she had to live up to the name given to her, Hang Chun Fu. She was always seen setting the bar for others and possessed many qualities a leader had. Once she had grown into a young woman and finished her studies, she ended up marrying an individual who has different ideas to what is satisfying in life. I will leave it at that but the story is so gripping and I couldn’t put my book down when I was reading it.

Alexandra Chang has created an amazing collection of stories and it was a pleasure meeting her yesterday. I am looking forward to reading all her future works, as well as, her debut novel, Days of Distraction.

3.5 stars

This was an interesting collection of 15 short stories by Alexandra Chang, whose previous novel Days of Distraction I had read several years back and really enjoyed. With this particular collection, I was drawn to certain stories more than others, which isn’t surprising, as that’s my usual reaction to short story collections that aren’t linked somehow. While I would say that I did enjoy this collection overall in terms of content and writing, I didn’t like that all the stories felt incomplete in some way — in some cases, I felt like I was being dropped in the middle of a scene that had already been happening, while in other cases, the ending felt so abrupt that I couldn’t helping thinking I was missing some pages perhaps. That feeling of “incompleteness” is one of the things that makes short story collections a hit or miss for me (though at the same time, it’s hard for me to not read them if I come across a collection that seems like it would suit my tastes).

For me, one of the things that stood out the most with this collection was the way Chang plays around with form in some of the stories.

The first story that started off the collection, entitled “Unknown by Unknown”definitely captured my attention with its tense buildup, but then it veered a little bit into the abstract and in the end, I didn’t really understand where it was going (though maybe that was just me). The second story, “Li Fan” was the most interesting as well as the most obviously experimental one — the entire story was told backwards (which I actually didn’t realize until I was about a quarter of the way through the story and was wondering why it read so oddly), with the last sentence first and the first sentence last. This was definitely a unique structure, one that I’d never seen employed before, though to be honest, it didn’t quite work for me, since I prefer stories in a more straightforward format (I get too distracted otherwise). I actually had to go back and re-read this story the “right” way (starting at the end back to the beginning, which did irk me a little). The story “Me and My Algo” features an algorithm as a main character (that is essentially in conversation with the unnamed first person narrator), while the story “Cat Personalities” consists of two characters talking about each other (and a friend) in relation to each of their cat’s personality traits.

Even though I didn’t necessarily resonate with some of the stories, I did appreciate overall the familiarity of the themes that we as Asian Americans and immigrants often struggle with — themes such as identity and our relationship with society, generational disparity and differences, reconciling past with present, the role of family and the way the dynamics evolve in an immigrant household, etc. There also seemed to be quite a few stories relating to technology, which was interesting considering this was a central theme in Chang’s previous work as well.

Overall, this was a pretty decent collection and I’m glad I read it, despite not necessarily understanding the message behind each story. I’m interested in seeing what Chang will write next, though I’m definitely hoping that it will be a novel rather than short stories.

Received ARC from Ecco Press via NetGalley.

Short story collections work for me when they clearly coalesce around a particular theme. TOMB SWEEPING is a set of short stories all told from the perspective of a young female narrator, in many of the stories identified as East Asian. Through the stories, we see themes of missed and regained connections across cultures and generational divides; the constant energy and pressure that pervade the immigrant experience to strive for something better - sometimes realized, sometimes not; how the pace of technological change affects our concept of self-identity and belonging with others.

Perhaps because they hit closer to home, my favorite stories in this collection were those that dealt more directly with the Chinese diaspora - “Li Fan”, a brief obituary for a woman who was once a girl who had dreams; “To Get Rich is Glorious”, a reflection on gender in modern China and the costs of rapid capitalistic development; “A Visit”, a quiet study of the relationship between a daughter and her father. That said, I do think the author’s most authoritative and authentic voice is that of the American-born Chinese millennial/Gen Z-er. Though I did enjoy “Li Fan” and “To Get Rich is Glorious”, the perspectives and narratives felt a little pat, with a clear message that wanted to be conveyed. I would love to hear the perspectives of a native-born Chinese or non-Chinese reader on how these were received.

I’m always pleased to find new voices in this space and look forward to reading more of Alexandra Chang’s work. Thanks so much to @eccobooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in return for an honest review. TOMB SWEEPING is out now!

These collection of short stories, focusing on different aspects of human connection, was such a nice easy read. I think my favorite story was the one told backward; the woman who collects recyclables and goes back in time through her life to describe how she got there. Even though I personally didn't connect to a handful of the stories, I still found them all to be incredibly thoughtful, accessible, and playful. I'm excited to read more from this author! Plus the cover art is absolutely gorgeous and very original, one of my favorite this year!

Sincere thanks to @netgalley and @ecco for the ARC.

this story collection was such a fun and interesting read! chang’s writing style is so realistic and really puts you into the lives of these characters and can empathize with their thoughts/feelings. i just know this will be a collection i flip through again later to revisit these stories!

This was a very middle-of-the-road collection for me. The first half of the collection was filled with stories that really impressed me while the second half leaned more toward the “underwhelming” side of things. Of the stories that left me wowing, “Li Fan,” for example, is written backwards. As the story moves from its end back to its beginning, sentence-by-sentence, there is the sense of a life being deconstructed brick-by-brick. This really moved me! Other stories that really stuck with me were “Farewell, Hank” (orchid lady was such an interesting character! And the setting of a living funeral was captivating), “Unknown by Unknown” (this story completely caught me off-guard and I love being surprised like that), and “Klara” (a story about a friendship where the friends drift apart…this had me in my feeeeels for sure!) And though I feel less passionately about the stories in the latter half of the book, they weren’t bad. I still enjoyed them for the most part. The stories overall felt playful, fun, explorative. I appreciated even the stories that are more about the “everyday” aspects of life, like considering a career-change, worrying about parents as they age, or having a conversation about cats with a frenemy. I ended up deciding to give this collection three stars because it was solidly enjoyable. It’s just that not all the stories delivered that gut-punch, (it seems like i need to be pummeled emotionally to give out five star ratings, i don’t know what that’s about haha) and there was definitely a story here or there that didn’t work as well for me. I feel like, for a certain reader, this collection will be the perfect escape!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

Chang does it again! And this time it’s 15 stories that captivate and do the damn thing! I really appreciate the breadth of Chinese American voices — from first gen immigrant to 2nd gen. I appreciated that all the stories were just different enough. There were 1 or 2 I wondered if Chang was writing about herself/her family because I recognized hints of DAYS OF DISTRACTION in it — well, I guess DOD is technically a novel but I read it more as a memoir TBH bc I related so much. Just like DOD, these stories are smart and have officially cemented Chang as an auto-buy author for me!

TOMB SWEEPING by Alexandra Chang ~to be published August 8, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a vibrant short story collection! This is right up there with my favorites.

Chang writes with exceptional style! The collection feels thoughtful yet accessible in its tone, casual yet layered in its composition. This is the kind of writing that encourages a second read, and because the stories are so short I often did go right back to the beginning after I finished a story to connect the dots and lock all of the puzzle pieces in place.

Quite a few of the stories center around the death of someone or something, making the collection feel cohesive despite its range of subjects. There is a Memento-esque story that is told backwards, beginning with a woman’s death. In another, our narrator is attending the living memorial of a man who is not yet dead or even dying! But it’s not always a person’s death being analyzed; Chang also examines concepts – the death of a dream, a friendship, a crush, and even the death of innocence.

Human connection, or the lack thereof, is prominent here. In Unknown by Unknown, our narrator has lost her job to a computer who can do it faster. In Me and My Algo, a woman is terrorized by her social media algorithm after revealing to it her deepest desires. The powerful Tombsweeping ponders who, in the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, has been wronged and who, a generation later, deserves to pay? Quirky characters abound in Cat Personalities, a story about two passive aggressive women who use their cats to critique each other’s traits. And we watch dumbfoundedly as two lab mates awkwardly try to build a connection with each other in Phenotype.

It is hard to balance insightfulness with playfulness, and Chang should be applauded for achieving the perfect balance here. Sincere thanks to @eccobooks for the ARC, this is out today!

P.S. This insanely ‘gram-worthy cover is probably my favorite cover of the year!

This excellent story collection contains exciting narratives and unique writing styles. The story told in reverse is a stand-out. I loved the author's focus on relationships and belonging.

The short stories that make TOMB SWEEPING by Alexandra Chang wasn't for me. Some stories were interesting, but ultimately I was never really captivated by the writing or the plots. "The Orchid Lady" was probably the one I liked the most out of the bunch.

Each short story in Tomb Sweeping read like a slice-of-life episode of the main character’s life, dedicated to exploring the intimacy of the mundane. I mean that in the best way possible! No character was so obviously a protagonist or a villain or an anti-hero—taking a peek into what felt like the real problems of real people made for a very comforting read.

I am a sucker for short-story collections. This debut one by Chang is no exception! It has stories about the immigrant experience, grief, family, and relationships as well as contemporary issues. Chang knows how to deftly turn the ordinary into the extraordinary through her storytelling and language. I enjoyed reading this collection and have recommended to my friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

human connection is beautiful. this collection of stories shows a snapshot into the life of 15 different people and the connections to those around them.

some stories were standouts and were absolutely stunning to read, while others i simply didn’t enjoy as much. the wide range of stories makes it a lot more engaging to read, but there were a few times i got whiplash switching from story to story. i highly recommend reading one chapter at a time to avoid this issue.

To Get Rich Is Glorious, was by far my favorite chapter and was an absolute delight to read! though this book was not a five star read, I have recommended it to almost all of my friends.

A lovely collection of short stories. I'm not the biggest fan of short stories because they have to be done well, and I thought the prose flowed well in these ones. Not every story landed well with me, but I thought as a collection this resonated well.

Short stories mostly centered around connection or feelings of loneliness in various types of relationships. A few of them were great and super memorable, but most have already slipped my mind. The standouts were such big hits that I’d still recommend.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC*

I love Alexandra Chang's writing. I love the way she can take ordinary people and ordinary circumstances and craft it into an artful story. I usually don't read short story collections but I enjoyed her novel "Days of Distraction" so I went ahead and gave this one a try,

I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection. My favorite being "To Get Rich is Glorious", "Klara" and "Tomb Sweeping".

The reason why I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt like some of the short stories fell flat and wished that they were developed more. For example, "Unknown by Unknown" and "A Visit" both had great premises, but I found them to be lackluster and not very memorable. They just needed that extra "oomph",

Overall, they were great and I'm glad that she focused on different Asian and Asian American perspectives and narratives. She made something that is looked down upon or ignored and turned them into great stories. I will definitely be interested in whatever else Chang has in store.

I went through a wide range of emotions while reading Tomb Sweeping. An anthology of short stories, Chang's stories vary from unsettling and suspenseful to profound discussions surrounding grief. One aspect I enjoyed was not knowing until I dove into a story how I would feel about the narrator. A lot of short story collections I read tend to have not much variety in characters, but Tomb Sweeping had that and more.

My favorite stories in Tomb Sweeping were mostly the ones that explored the complicated dynamics of relationships. "Klara" talked about the gradual ending of a close friendship and how difficult and strange it is to navigate being a big part of somebody's life before essentially becoming acquaintances. There were moments I related to and that I have experienced in past relationships myself. "Farewell, Hank" had some truly beautiful insights about how we experience and treat grief. One line in particular stood out to me that basically said how memorializing people is for ourselves and not necessarily for who we are grieving. "Cat Personalities" was a really interesting depiction of the varying degrees of closeness and intimacy that we have with people and how that affects our dynamics with other people. "Persona Development" was particularly heart-wrenching for me as it talked about the sudden realization that your family members have grown older and will not be around for ever.

As far as the more unsettling and suspenseful stories go, "Unknown by Unknown" and "Me and My Algo" were my favorites. I am not sure if I would exactly classify them as horror, but I definitely felt the same sense of foreboding that you get with horror. "Unknown by Unknown" is the first story (at least per this ARC), and I was very intrigued with Tomb Sweeping as soon as I read it. If it weren't for how uncomfortable the story "Cure for Life" made me, it would also have been at the top, but the story was extremely well-written and supposed to make you feel that way.

Chang is definitely talented at writing any kind of character. As her stories are character-driven, all of them are well done. I do not really have any criticisms of the story. The only reason I do not rate it a five star is because it is not something I would reread over and over. That being said, it is a story worth reading, and I highly recommend it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be out August 8th, 2023. Thank you so much to Ecco and NetGalley for this ARC.

As with most short story collections I have read lately, this one is hit and miss. I really enjoyed the first few stories but it seems like most publishers are front-loading these collections with the author's best work at the beginning and placing the lesser stories at the end of the book. I would say about 40% of this book is exceptional and the rest is mediocre--better than many but still mediocre.