So here I sit, crying at my computer because this story is just so SO good. Before I write about it, I will say you need to read it if you haven’t. It’s amazing; I'd give it ten stars if I could.

Kan is a young Chinese-American boy whose mother was brought over from China as a mail-order bride. To soothe him one day, his mother uses wrapping paper to make an origami tiger. When she breathes into the design, it comes to life (this is her magic) and becomes Kan’s friend, a tiger named Laohu. Kan’s mother eventually makes him an entire menagerie of animals, all which come to life and become his playmates.

As Kan gets older, the lure of “real” toys like Star Wars figurines, his schoolmates’ and neighbor’s ridiculing about his mother being a “bought” wife, and the vestiges of his Chinese heritage in his own appearance all combine to make him become resentful towards his mother. Add to that her not speaking much Chinese with the usual distance that happens between parents and kids as time goes on and by high school, Kan isn’t talking much to his mother at all. He’s more concerned about his pursuit of the American dream.

Tragedy strikes and, well, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, this story manages to break your heart, uplift your spirit, and make you believe in magic all at once.

Using a relatable trope (the natural distance and embarassment that usually forms between parents and children as the child gets older and has to make their own way in the world), Liu puts his own fantastical spin on it by making it a story about assimilation, communication, and love. And, in the end, he makes you realize that while life is littered with heartbreak, disappointment, tragedy, and people mistreating others, in the end a glimmer of love can shine through and possibly heal some of the wounds.