River East, River West (2023)

River East, River West takes the form of two parallel narratives, as two characters experience contrasting moments in the recent history of China. The more autobiographical section, set initially in 2007 (shortly before the Financial Crisis), introduces us to 14-year-old Alva, the daughter of American expat and failed actress Sloan, as she navigates being a ‘laowai’ in a Chinese high school and looks on enviously at those attending American expat schools nearby.