Jean Chen Ho’s collection feels like a rehash of shared stories between you and your childhood best friend. Underage drinking, missing curfew, lying about your age, discovering your sexuality, and feeling insecure. All of it is a part of Fiona and Jane. And it all feels very recognizable.

Maybe you have a story in your history about the time you ended up in a motel room with an older man who thinks you’re a college student. Perhaps a memory of the first time you kissed another girl and loved it. Maybe you could remember the times you experienced casual racism because you were, as is the case of Fiona and Jane, a young Asian woman. The way that Ho weaves together these universal stories of growing up in America while weaving together the familial backstories of each character is a pure craft.

One standout story is when Jane discovers that her father is gay. He moved back to Taiwan in her early teens, leaving her and her mother behind in California. When she finally visits him, he reveals his secret to her. This meeting is a defining moment in Jane’s life, the aftermath of which she carries with her well into middle age. On the other hand, Fiona spends part of her childhood in Taiwan, not knowing who her father is and being told he is dead. It isn’t until right before she and her mother move to America that she finds out he is alive and never knew about her.

In their twenties, the friends grow apart. Fiona follows love to New York, and Jane remains in California. Fiona quits law school while Jane holds odd jobs. Fiona’s boyfriend takes all her money. Jane feels disconnected.

I found the stories to be incredibly touching and profoundly relatable. These are moments in time that are connected to a larger story of female friendship, love, family, and secrets.