Henry Lee

The novel focuses on Henry Lee. At the story opens, Henry is in his early teens. He is growing up as an American citizen of Chinese descent in Seattle during World War II. Henry again appears in the novel forty years later after the death of his wife. At this point, he begins to recall his teen years.

During Henry’s childhood, Henry’s father is dedicated to teaching his son about his Chinese heritage, but he still wants his son to have the best opportunities in America. Instead of letting Henry attend the Chinese school where Henry feels more comfortable, Henry’s father arranges for him to get a scholarship to attend Rainier School, a prestigious all-white school. At the school, Henry is made fun of on a daily basis because he is Chinese. It is while Henry is attending Rainier that he meets Keiko, a...