{
  "id": 8405024,
  "title": "A sumptuous slow burn",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/a-sumptuous-slow-burn",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-19T07:01:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/2026/09/19/a-sumptuous-slow-burn"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tom Lin, a Chinese-born novelist, has penned his second novel, Babylon, South Dakota, which diverges from a typical historical account of an immigrant family's struggle. Instead, it masterfully blends and bends genres. The story revolves around the Huis, a young Chinese couple who immigrate to a rural community in South Dakota, taking the names Saul and Mei.\n\nThe Huis, who know nothing of life in the United States, arrive with only a small fortune in gold, which Mei conceals around their new 160-acre homestead. They are helped by an interpreter, Abraham Song, and his fiancée, marking their first friendships in the U.S. Their daughter, Mara, develops an uncanny ability to communicate with animals as they grow up on the farm.\n\nHowever, the family's peace is disrupted when representatives of the U.S. Army arrive, seeking to purchase land for an unspecified project. With the help of Abraham, the Huises consent to the sale, but the family grows increasingly uneasy as the army builds an exact replica of their home and begins to experience unusual environmental and health effects.\n\nDespite the supernatural elements and magic realism woven throughout, Babylon, South Dakota maintains a slow-burning pace. The plot unfolds in a series of vignettes, each connected by subtle threads, giving the narrative a dreamlike quality. Lin's writing, while florid at times, effectively captures the prairie setting and the emotional journeys of the characters, particularly Mei's struggle with dementia as she ages.\n\nThe novel's abrupt conclusion may leave some readers feeling let down after investing so much in the characters' lives. However, Babylon, South Dakota is a rich, immersive tale that explores themes of immigration, family, and the clash between tradition and modernity.",
  "summary": "Tom Lin’s second novel Babylon, South Dakota moves beyond a historical account of an immigrant family’s struggle, delightfully blending and bending genres. Lin is a Chinese-born novelist whose family emigrated […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Chinese couple Saul and Mei Huis immigrate to South Dakota as Saul and Mei.",
    "Daughter Mara gains telepathic ability with animals on 160-acre farm.",
    "U.S. Army purchases land, causing family unrest and health effects."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}