It’s 1978, and Jon Fenton, the courier for New York City’s notorious Flying Dragons gang, is on the run. After getting wind of gang leader Sifu Qiu’s plan to kill him, he took the money he was supposed to deliver and faked his own death. However, the gang still wants a measure of revenge, and they target Jon’s adult sister, Kim, who ends up in the hospital after a brutal assault. After she recovers, she takes martial-arts self-defense lessons from her childhood friend, Ethan Wolf, who owns an acupuncture and kung fu studio; the two bond over their mutual grief over Jon’s absence. As years go by, Jon attempts anonymity but still manages to get into trouble halfway around the world in China: “The gang exchanged glances before lunging. Jon’s training took over. He ducked a punch. His movements had the grace of a dancer and the power of a charging bull.” There, he fights for justice, and he forges a surprising career as a martial arts movie star. Along the way, he continues to grapple with his past, which, he eventually learns, he can never truly leave behind. Schulman’s novel briskly spans almost 20 years and includes its characters in historically significant events, as in multiple chapters toward the end, set in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989. With a fluid narrative voice and a plot that moves along with a clear vision, the author writes with a confidence that smooths over occasional stiff dialogue. Although the action may sometimes strike some readers as a bit over the top, it never drifts into caricature. The main characters are well-developed, and their desires, regrets, and motivations plausibly move the story along at a refreshing clip, even when it touches upon serious topics.
