Dear librarian,
Thank you so much for considering my debut novel, Double Happiness! It would be an honor to have a place on your shelves. I could not have written this novel without libraries and the incredible work of librarians like you.
I grew up in working-class Queens, New York. Many of my happiest childhood memories were at branches of the Queens Public Library: attending storytimes and music shows; signing my name on my first library card; and gleefully taking home armloads of books. Those books expanded my worldview and fueled my imagination. And many years later, when I finally started seeing more Asian American names on library bookshelves, I believed that I, too, might have a place in the publishing world.
Double Happiness is the novel I always wanted to write. It’s the story of Mei Li, a 36-year-old late bloomer who finally has it all—until, right before her wedding, an unexpected new love interest makes her rethink her hard-won love, life, and career choices. Double Happiness has been called a “smart-girl weekend read” and a “beach read with depth”—because even though it’s a sunny, fast-paced love story, it also tackles timely topics like financial insecurity, social striving, toxic work, and mental health.
I know librarians have a harder job than ever, with funding cuts, book bans, and other challenges. Please know that your hard work never goes unnoticed. Thanks to your continuous efforts, me, my daughter, my friends, family members, and millions of others now see ourselves reflected in literature—and that’s life-changing.
Thank you for reading Double Happiness!
All my best,
Heather Eng
