Seek Immediate Shelter

Residents of an Asian American community in Western Massachusetts respond in consequential ways to a false alert of a “ballistic missile threat” in Yu’s resonant debut. The alert says to “seek immediate shelter,” but David Li, a family man who inherited his father’s public relations firm, gets in his car and takes off, leaving his wife and infant son behind. Nina Chang, thinking she’s about to die, writes a farewell text to her lesbian daughter, who lives in California, then spitefully adds, “I guess being selfish was worth it.” After Clare Hillden’s husband, Jacob, dies of a heart attack brought on by the stress, she is contacted by a woman claiming Jacob had raised a secret family with her. While these characters deal with the fallout of their actions, others act heroically, such as Nick Chen, a downcast musician mourning the breakup of his band, who rescues a waitress, hoping they can outrun the blast in his car. Behind it all is the problem-plagued state official who accidentally caused the alert, which is called off 18 minutes after it goes out. Yu handily juggles and resolves the many story lines, exploring the ripple effects of snap decisions and fully developing his characters as they face various consequences. Reminiscent of the Twilight Zone episode “The Shelter,” this layered novel pays dividends. Agent: Chad Luibl, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (May)