April 2022 Virtual Author Visit: Lisa Yee
Maizy Chen's Last Chance & the Chinese American Experience:
What Happens When Family, Food, Fact & Fiction Intersect
Not a lot has been written about the Chinese American experience in children's literature. Here, Lisa Yee explores why she wrote her novel, the research going back and forth from the 1800's to present, and what she learned along the way.
To access the recording of Lisa Yee’s April 2022 virtual author visit, please fill out this form.
About Lisa Yee: Lisa Yee was born and raised near Los Angeles. As a kid, she loved reading, opening
brand new boxes of cereal (to get the prize), and riding the teacups at Disneyland.
Even though Lisa has been paid to eat chocolate, the thing she likes doing most is
writing--except for when she has writer's block, or needs a snack, or is distracted.
Her latest work Maizy Chen's Last Chance, debuted in February 2022. According to Yee, “Out of the 21 novels I've written, this
is my most personal book so far. Like Maizy, my story began in China - a place I’ve
never been to. Like Maizy, I'm a Chinese American from Los Angeles. And, like Maizy,
when I was 11-years old I knew little about my family history.” This novel is a work
of fiction about a contemporary girl. But it’s also about Maizy's family, the owners
of the Golden Palace restaurant and, for generations, the only Asian Americans in
Last Chance, Minnesota.
