Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang is a coming-of-age novel about Lily Chen, a Chinese American college freshman who travels to Taipei for a summer language program hoping to feel closer to a culture and family history she has struggled to understand. When her grandfather dies, Lily's summer becomes a much deeper journey through grief, language, family, identity, and the complicated meaning of home.

If you are reading Taipei Story with your book club, these discussion questions will aid conversations about R.F. Kuang's characters, grief, language, cultural identity, family history, belonging, and the experience of being caught between cultures. You can also use these questions on Bookum to start or join a meaningful book club discussion with other readers.

Lily, Identity, and Coming of Age

1 - What do you think Lily expects to find when she arrives in Taipei?

2 - How does Lily's idea of Taiwan change once she actually has to live there? Has this ever happen to you when moving somewhere new?

3 - Why do you think Lily feels like a foreigner in a place she expected to feel like home? Have you ever experience this feeling?

4 - How does being a college freshman shape the way Lily handles the experiences of the summer?

5 - What does Lily get wrong about herself or the people around her, and what does she learn from those mistakes?

6 - Do you think Lily becomes more comfortable with not having all the answers by the end of the novel?

Language, Misunderstanding, and Connection

7 - How does Lily's relationship with the Chinese language affect her relationships with other people?

8 - Why do you think Lily puts so much pressure on herself to communicate correctly?

9 - How can language create distance between people even when they genuinely want to connect?

10 - What moments of misunderstanding did you find funny, uncomfortable, or surprisingly meaningful?

11 - Do you think Lily's struggles with language are really about language, or are they also about confidence and vulnerability?

12 - How does the novel show that human connection does not always require saying everything perfectly?

Grief, Family, and the Past

13 - How does her grandfather's death change the way Lily thinks about her family and her own morality?

14 - Why do you think losing someone can make us want to know more about their life?

15 - What does Lily discover about the difference between knowing your family and knowing your family's history?

16 - How do family silences affect Lily's attempt to understand where she comes from?

17 - What did you think about the sections that give us a different perspective on Lily's grandfather?

Home, Culture, and Letting Yourself Be Messy

18 - What does Taipei Story suggest about the idea of “going home” when you grew up somewhere else?

19 - How does Lily's experience challenge the idea that visiting your family's country automatically creates a stronger connection to your culture?

20 - How does humor change the way the novel approaches grief and difficult family experiences?

21 - Why do you think Lily sometimes makes choices that are awkward, impulsive, or even self-defeating?

22 - Do you think Lily's summer is ultimately more about finding Taiwan or finding a better understanding of herself?

23 - After finishing Taipei Story, what do you think the novel says about home, family, language, and the courage to connect before you feel completely ready?

24 - If you have read any other books by RF Kuang how would you compare this book to her other novels?

Download Bookum and add Taipei Story to your TBR list to start or join a meaningful book club discussion today.