Theyāre called parachutes: wealthy teenagers dropped off to live and study in the United States while their parents remain in Asia. Thatās how Claire, from Shanghai, comes to live with Dani, who couldn't be less thrilled that mom rented out their spare room.
As Claire explores her newfound freedom and Dani navigates a complicated relationship with her teacher, both girls wrestle with life-changing choices. The girls might be opposites, in terms of privilege, but Claire and Dani will need each other to survive the modern American dream.
Kelly Yang is the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk, Three Keys, and Room to Dream and is the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Childrenās Literature. She went to college at age thirteen and is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard Law School. She is the founder of the Kelly Yang Project, a leading writing and debating program for children in Asia. She lived in Hong Kong for fifteen years, where she taught many parachutes and was a columnist for the South China Morning Post. Her writing has also been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlantic. Kelly currently lives in Los Angeles with her family. Please find her online at www.kellyyang.com. Parachutes is her YA debut.