Examine the theme of Counterfeit, Disguise, and Deception as is plays out in the novel. You may wish to consider not only the products that Winnie incorporates into her business model but also the personae that various characters adopt.

Discuss the way Winnie and Ava manipulate and subvert expectations and assumptions about Asian Americans as the “model minority.” What does the novel have to say about bias, prejudice, and misperceptions?

Explore the theme of family as it surfaces in the novel, not just the importance of or the pleasures of family but also the pressures and roles that families can impose. Your discussion may include Ava’s family in the US as well as in Hong Kong, and you might consider how Winnie’s family members in China and the US present variations on this theme.