A FISH COULD LOVE A BIRD recounts the interracial marriage between Lauren, a Caucasian Canadian ar tist, and Chen, a Chinese Malaysian physician, who met at the University of British Columbia. The newly-weds will live with his parents-Wong, a rubber plantation owner, and Tan, who runs a beauty salon.
Lauren, coming directly from a privileged life in Vancouver with her BFA degree in her suitcase, faces crucial challenges entering the home and culture of a Chinese family. Feeling like an alien, she is battered by superstitions, treated with mysterious potions from the apothecary and pressured from the beginning to have a boy baby. As eldest son, Chen is torn between the bounden duty to his parents and the expectations of his feisty, energetic wife.
The novel gives a close look at many facets of Malaysian life-from hot ginger compresses to devils peeking in windows. In the face of overwhelming socio-cultural differences, can the marriage of Lauren and Chen survive?