Dim sum is a meal that typically celebrates fellowship with friends and family around the table. The image of food being served in round containers in different rounds is a fitting analogy for the storytelling circles that the author takes us through in Dim Sum and Faith. Part personal memoir, part invitation into spiritual practices, and part explanation of cultural realities, this book whet my appetite for wanting to gather with other Christians and to share in the experience of hearing their stories. What makes Jenn Suen Chen's book even more meaningful to me is the visibility that she offers to Asian Christian women who may not always get to have a voice at the table. Recounting her own stories from her missionary experiences and family history, these retellings of the intersection between faith and culture captivated me most as I read along. I appreciate the vulnerability that is gently offered while making space for readers to participate in the journey.

In being new to the work of a spiritual director, it was a different experience for me to engage with the storytelling and self-reflective aspects of the book; however, when I shifted my perspective to reading each chapter as conversations taking place over a number of dim sum meals, the concepts came more easily to me. This book seems to be written as a progressive series of meals shared together, which means not everything has to be digested at once. If you're looking for an Asian perspective on the importance of storytelling within the Christian faith, Dim Sum and Faith is a reminder that God uses all of our stories for His glory and that there is value, redemption, and purpose to the experiences of Asian Christians.