Alexander Chee’s essay collection is a gift. Some of these essays have been published before, but taken together they offer an incredibly honest inward look, not just into Chee's life, but frequently into my own. They hold up a mirror to my own worries and anger and fear, despite often describing a life not at all like mine. Encouraging readers to examine their own lives is one of the best gifts a writer can give, and I feel honored and lucky to have read this incredible collection.