“The mercilessly absorbing Country of Origin does many things that most novels—not to speak of first novels—can only hope to do: it renders a time and place that feel both meticulously researched and swoonily atmospheric; delivers up complex and sympathetic protagonists; poses questions about race and identity that resonate throughout the story and beyond it, and conjures up such a prickling aura of mystery that the reader is left helpless to desist. Be warned: you may find yourself canceling plans, shirking work, or neglecting your children to finish this book.”
—Jennifer Egan, author of Look at Me

“Japan seems the perfect carnavalesque, opaque background for people trying to discover or to forget their identities and their personal truths. Don Lee’s novel is upsetting, amusing, filled with surprises, and wonderfully well-written.”
—Ann Beattie, author of Park City

“Tokyo sex clubs. CIA drones. Hapas and missing black-white girls. This is a strange, sexy, and perilous world Lee has painted for us, where nobody stays put in one nation or one race and nobody’s identity remains fixed. A profound, gripping, and elegant book.”
—Danzy Senna, author of Caucasia

“Fans of Don Lee’s terrific stories will recognize with pleasure in Country of Origin the intelligence and humor that he brings to bear on the complex issues of race and culture. His characters, whether Japanese or American, Polish or ‘and/or,’ are richly imagined, and his plot is both deadly serious and deeply entertaining. This is a wonderful novel.”
—Margot Livesey, author of Eva Moves the Furniture

“Country of Origin is a remarkable novel, a work of art and a work of entertainment, profoundly enjoyable and deeply resonant. It captures the identity crisis of observer/participant research, while at the same time ambitiously exploring issues of self-invention in the face of parentage, race, and class. It is, I believe, a real achievement.”
—Fred Leebron, author of Six Figures