Matthew Kim is a Dartmouth grad who has not fully grown up. He often struggles against the pressure of his dad’s high expectation of a fast career track, held in stark contrast to his friends’ low standards for his romantic life. Disappointed with such conflicting standards, he begrudgingly develops his career and dating life in isolation. On a trip from San Francisco to New York City to celebrate Thanksgiving of 2013, Matthew finds himself in an unexplainable time travel as he encounters a small flashy ruby ring in the backyard of his father’s house. He is still in New York City, but in an unfamiliar time-1919. In his new old world, he experiences overt prejudice as an Asian-American, but manages to make a living by working at an unlikely workplace for his professional and educational background–an Italian restaurant. In a pivotal moment, he encounters a legendary fashion designer of the time, Adelina Bianchi, or Biani. Her encouragement and warmth inspire him for three full and robust years. Despite being different from him, she still becomes his great mentor and friend. Matthew soon suffers from the loss of such a treasured friendship, a strong emotional upheaval that mysteriously sends him back to his own time. With renewed encouragement from the other world, Matthew confesses his new career interest to his father, who, surprisingly, places his son’s happiness above all else. He decides to quit his investment consulting job and starts a fashion company with Scarlet Love-an attractive, intelligent Caltech graduate student who tirelessly joins him in withstanding peer and family pressures and overcoming immeasurable obstacles in his new career. This two-book series celebrates Gen San Francisco, an emerging American generation that is not only talented and independent but also respectful and open-minded to those different from themselves-are you ready to embrace Gen San Francisco?
