The Third Son

“A boy growing up in Japanese-occupied Taiwan . . . will do anything to escape his tormenting family and reconnect with his first love . . . Compelling” (O, The Oprah Magazine).

In the middle of a terrifying air raid in 1940s Taiwan, Saburo, the least-favored son of a Taiwanese politician, runs through a forest for cover. It’s there he stumbles on Yoshiko, whose descriptions of her loving family are to Saburo like a glimpse of paradise. Meeting her is a moment he will remember forever, and for years he will try to find her again. When he finally does, she is by the side of his oldest brother and greatest rival.

In Saburo, author Julie Wu has created an extraordinary character, determined to fight for everything he needs and wants, from food to education to his first love. The Third Son is a sparkling and moving story about a young boy with his head in the clouds who, against all odds, finds himself on the frontier of America’s space program.

“Clear your schedule! The Third Son is your next obsessive read. Julie Wu’s book reads like an instant classic.” —Lydia Netzer, bestselling author of Shine Shine Shine

“I was entranced by this tale of an immigrant who boldly makes a new future for himself out of the wreckage of a Dickensian childhood. . . . A universal story that will have everyone cheering for Saburo and Yoshiko, two lovers whose faith in each other spans continents and oceans.” —David Abrams, author of Fobbit

“Deceptively simple, deeply compelling . . . An unusually awful sibling rivalry, a stunningly pure and inspiring love story.” —The Boston Globe