Lan Samantha Chang

First Woman Director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop

In The Family Chao, three Chinese-American brothers in a small town, two immigrant Chinese parents, one Chinese restaurant, one murder, and a missing dog all add up to a kaleidoscopic, entertaining tale of family loyalty, the American dream, and cultural dislocation. The author of two other novels, Chang is the Director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, the first woman and only Asian American to hold that position. She earned her BA from Yale, her MPA from Harvard, and her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The Family Chao was an Obama Summer Reading Pick. Chang lives in Iowa City, Iowa.

“An engrossing and darkly comedic take on The Brothers Karamazov.” – The New York Times Book Review. “Dostoevsky himself would surely approve." – NPR