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Chang-Rae Lee mines personal history for new novel 'A Tender Age'

The cover of "A Tender Age" beside Chang-Rae Lee. (Courtesy of Michelle Lee)
Courtesy of Michelle Lee
The cover of "A Tender Age" beside Chang-Rae Lee. (Courtesy of Michelle Lee)

Chang-rae Lee‘s new book, “A Tender Age,” centers around 10-year-old Korean American Jeon-Gi, who navigates an eventful summer at a Korean church camp.

Host Scott Tong speaks with Lee about the book, which Lee says drew on stories from his own childhood.

Book excerpt: ‘A Tender Age’

By Chang-rae Lee

Excerpted from “A Tender Age” by Chang-rae Lee. Copyright © 2026 by Chang-rae Lee. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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