"Fiercely satirical. . . . Yamashita presents [an] intricate plot with mordant wit." —
New York Times Book Review
"A stunner. . . . An exquisite mystery novel. But this is a novel of dystopia and apocalypse; the mystery concerns the tragic flaws of human nature." —
Library Journal
(starred review)
"Brilliant. . . . An ingenious interpretation of social woes." —
Booklist
"Yamashita handles her eccentrics and the setting of their adventures with panache. David Foster Wallace meets Gabriel Garcia Marquez." —
Publishers Weekly
Irreverently juggling magical realism, film noir, hip hop, and chicanismo,
Tropic of Orange
takes place in a Los Angeles where the homeless, gangsters, infant organ entrepreneurs, and Hollywood collide on a stretch of the Harbor Freeway. Hemmed in by wildfires, it's a symphony conducted from an overpass, grandiose, comic, and as diverse as the city itself.
Karen Tei Yamashita
is the author of
Through the Arc of the Rain Forest, Brazil-Maru, Tropic of Orange, Circle K Cycles, I Hotel
, and
Anime Wong
, all published by Coffee House Press.
I Hotel
was selected as a finalist for the National Book Award and awarded the California Book Award, the American Book Award, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Award, and the Association for Asian American Studies Book Award.