Simon Han’s beautifully crafted debut novel about a family of Chinese immigrants living in a Dallas suburb in 2003 is a deceptively quiet book, where a series of small events quickly accumulate to threaten their life together. The title, NIGHTS WHEN NOTHING HAPPENED, reveals new meanings as the story unfolds.

At first, it seems like the Chengs are on their way to becoming another immigrant success story. Patty, an engineer, moves to Dallas first, leaving husband Liang and their young son Jack behind in China. She gets a responsible job in a tech firm, and soon Liang joins her, while Jack remains in the care of his grandparents until his parents are financially stable enough to bring him to Texas. He’s 11 when he arrives and meets his five-year-old American-born sister, Annabel.

"Simon Han’s beautifully crafted debut novel about a family of Chinese immigrants living in a Dallas suburb in 2003 is a deceptively quiet book..."

The Chengs’ marriage is strained by Patty’s demanding job and Liang’s lack of one, and Jack often feels like an outsider in his own family, though he quickly bonds with his little sister. Annabel, meanwhile, has trouble sleeping and is labeled a “problem child” at school, in part because she is outspoken and because she bullies her “best” friend, Elsie.

As concerns about Annabel and her family mount, an unfortunate incident at a Thanksgiving party spirals into a huge misunderstanding that will have grave consequences. While no one could foresee how events would unfold, everyone bears some responsibility --- and carries that weight going forward.

Han sensitively portrays each member of this struggling family as it falls apart and then attempts to realign itself. What comes through on every page of this melancholy book is the price each must pay for the opportunity to be part of the American success story.