PositiveThe RumpusDespite its roots in the early ‘90s, Your House Will Pay is a very contemporary novel ... This creates a sense of immediacy: the book’s conflicts can’t be dismissed as part of the past. The characters’ actions matter because they impact the world we live in right now. The issues matter because they’re issues we’ll face when we wake up tomorrow ... I’ll focus on a moment that demonstrates the novel’s richness: At one point, the Park family is in the news. Grace, who has built her life around anonymity, has no idea how to act under the spotlight. She’s harassed by a white activist who sees himself as a journalist. As she tries to escape, she slips and cuts her lip. In her anger, she lashes out at the activist. He films it. In her anger, she says something mildly racist. The video of her tantrum goes viral. Cha presents the scene with a delicate touch ... Cha taps into the Christian traditions of her characters. Your House Will Pay isn’t a religious novel ... The novel is by no means didactic. As I said, it’s a crime novel. Like all of Cha’s work, the novel starts with a slow burn and builds into a wildfire.
