The narrator of Yiyun Li’s novel navigates the space between life and death as she imagines a dialogue with her teenage son, who recently died by suicide. Their conversation exists in an unfamiliar world separate from time, where the two can reflect on the life they shared. In this liminal space, the narrator does not focus on why her son made the choice to die, but instead grapples with what language she should use to understand her crushing loss. The book is a fearless reflection on tragic loss, made even more poignant by its author’s own story: in 2017, Li’s 16-year-old son took his own life.
Buy now: Where Reasons End