Lan Samantha Chang's novel The Family Chao revolves around the lives of the Chao family, who run a Chinese-American restaurant in Haven, Wisconsin. The restaurant owner, Leo Chao, has three sons: James, Ming, and Dagou. His narcissistic and unreliable nature makes Leo disliked by everyone in his family. His wife, Winnie, decides to leave him due to his arrogance and infidelity, eventually finding solace in a new life as a Buddhist nun.
As the narrative unfolds, readers witness escalating issues within the family when a fortune teller advises Dagou, the eldest brother, to distance himself from the family restaurant. Besides that, she predicts Leo's demise. It doesn't take Dagou long to realize his dad doesn't appreciate his efforts and constantly criticizes him. To impress his dad, Dagou throws an extravagant Christmas party. In an unfortunate turn of events, Leo's poorly thought-out joke goes awry, deeply offending Dagou. Angry, Dagou decides to take control of his life on his own. Meanwhile, as the narrative progresses, it unveils the revelation that Dagou finds himself in police custody, facing accusations of murdering his father by locking him in the freezer.
The Family Chao, loosely inspired by The Brothers Karamazov, explores two central themes: family and betrayal. In the Chao household, no one is close to each other, which creates a lack of unity within the family. Though the Chao brothers prefer not to live together, their mother insists they stay with their father. Ironically, Winnie, despite wanting family unity, left home due to strained relations with Leo. James, Ming, and Dagou want their rightful share of the family business, but they don't love their father.
