Ugly Dumpling: A Memoir by Elaine Hsieh Yu
For readers of Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang and The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, an Asian American coming-of-age story about growing up in poverty with a mother living with mental health issues, and about the redemptive power of love.
When Elaine Hsieh Yu arrives in Hawai‘i from Hong Kong at the age of four, her family’s hopes for stability quickly unravel. Her father, rigid and demanding, drifts in and out of her life. Her mother, loving but volatile, is at times neglectful. From an early age, Elaine understands that adults are not always able to protect or provide.
Ugly Dumpling follows Elaine’s journey from growing up poor, Asian, and largely invisible in Honolulu and East Los Angeles to raising her children in Silicon Valley. She shares vivid memories of family, survival, and love, tracing a childhood shaped by public assistance and undiagnosed illness into an adult life spent trying to give her children everything she never had.
Honest, emotional, and at times funny, Elaine’s story touches on relationships across three generations, revealing how the past shapes us but doesn’t have to define us, and how the unexpected paths and broken pieces can become something whole and beautiful.
Advance Praise for UGLY DUMPLING:
“Elaine Yu has written an amazing book that recounts her journey from growing up with a ‘deevorced,’ immigrant mom who feared not being able to pay the rent to Stanford alum and more. Her honesty and transparency touched me at a deep level. Looking at her now, some say that Elaine has lived a charmed life. If only they knew. On second thought, find out by reading her book! I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.” —Martin Hellman, 2015 Turing Award winner and author of A New Map for Relationships: Creating True Love at Home and Peace on the Planet
“People know the story of the ugly duckling who turns into a beautiful swan, but what about the ugly dumpling? And how does that ugly dumpling grow up to become part of a banquet of love, belonging, and joy? In her compelling memoir, Elaine Yu shares how family devotion and the presence of caring adults can help heal even the most painful adverse experiences.” —Russell Jeung, PhD, 2021 Time 100 Honoree, cofounder of Stop AAPI Hate, and author of At Home in Exile
“For all the stories of Asian American success, Ugly Dumpling shows how fragile and shallow these measures are, and the terrible costs behind the scenes to mental health, loving relationships, and overall wellbeing. Many have gone through similar hardships as Elaine Hsieh Yu, but few have had the resilience to tell of them. I’m staggered by her book.” —Ed Lin, author of Ghost Month and David Tung Can’t Have a Girlfriend Until He Gets Into an Ivy League College
“Elaine Hsieh Yu seems to have a photographic memory of her early life, illuminating the details of her journey from Hong Kong to Hawaii to Baldwin Park and later to Stanford, California. Though her father tells her she’s ‘fat, dark, and short,’ she finds in herself the grit and ambition to pursue tough challenges. The author keeps it all together till she comes to the end of her journey in a way you’ll be glad you traveled it with her.” —Merrill Joan Gerber, Wallace Stegner Fellow, former fiction writing professor at Caltech, and author of Someone Should Know This Story
“This poignant memoir captures the small and large indignities of poverty, as well as the challenges and complexities of loving unstable people. Yu conjures the surreal disconnect between the details of dysfunctional family life that feel normal to a child but are actually shocking to outsiders. Every victory in this story feels hard-won, giving the uplifting moments a special resonance.” —Felisa Rogers, editor at Mezcalistas, essayist, and writer
“Ugly Dumpling captures the confusion and wonder of childhood, making it appealing to readers who enjoy emotional and moving memoirs centered on family history, immigration, and self-discovery.” —5 Stars, Readers’ Favorite
About the Author:
Elaine Hsieh Yu was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Hawai’i and Southern California. She went on to build a career in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University with degrees in Electrical Engineering. She wrote her debut memoir, Ugly Dumpling, to shine a light on mental health and intergenerational healing within Asian American families.
She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, where they raised their two children, while continuing to care for her elderly mother. As an empty nester, she devotes her time outside her tech job at Apple to writing, keeping her houseplants alive, and socializing with friends, sometimes talking and laughing a little too loudly.
Ugly Dumpling is available for sale on Amazon (published by Resolve Editions, March 16, 2027, and distributed by Simon & Schuster).