Names Have Been Changed

Ophir's tale begins in Singapore, where a petty crime spins out of control, estranging her from home and family. Resorting to false identities and forged passports (being mixed-race helps), she criss-crosses the globe from a Paris-themed hostess bar in Tokyo, to a bustling Chinese restaurant in London, to a snowbound mountain town in Colorado and beyond. Broadcasting from an undisclosed location, Ophir is funny, prickly, tough, and vulnerable, entrancing her listeners with an irresistible, no-holds-barred recounting of not only her crimes (plural) but also her deepest secrets and regrets. Even as she moves seamlessly across class lines and continents, she grapples with the shock of relentless dislocation, a painful re-examination of identity, and a deep yearning for home. She tries to find comfort in new lovers and ill-gotten luxury goods, but she can't help attracting trouble, and she soon faces an unexpected, high-stakes choice that could change her fate forever. Names Have Been Changed is a stylish, fast-paced debut novel that reveals the complicated paths we take to build a life and a home. Filled with danger and twists, it's ultimately a story about immigration and belonging - one unlike any you've seen before.