A Short History of Longans
Australia

A Short History of Longans

by Mirandi Riwoe

Family & Heritage Historical Fiction 2026

Summary

Spanning nearly two centuries, A Short History of Longans traces the intertwined lives of four generations of an Irish-Chinese family in Australia, exploring how ancestry, memory, and historical upheaval shape a sense of belonging.

The story opens in Queensland in 2049, where Daniel, an elderly and reclusive artist, faces the destruction of his beloved longan tree after a devastating storm. When a young reporter arrives seeking answers about a troubling event in his past, Daniel’s carefully guarded life begins to unravel. The narrative then travels backwards through time, revealing the experiences of his aunt Wendy, who struggles with early-onset dementia, and Ruby Wong, a Chinese Australian actress pursuing her ambitions in 1940s Los Angeles. Finally, the novel reaches the nineteenth century, where an Irish orphan named Maria Lyons falls in love with Ah Yang, a Chinese man whose life will shape the family’s future.

Through these interconnected stories, Riwoe examines migration, racial prejudice, family secrets, and the ways identity is passed down through generations. The longan tree becomes a symbol of heritage and continuity, connecting people to the places and histories that make them who they are.

Reviews

Login to leave a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first!

You might also like

Untethered
Untethered
Ayesha Inoon
The Yield
The Yield
Tara June Winch
On Not Climbing Mountains
On Not Climbing Mountains
Claire Thomas
The Underworld
The Underworld
Sofie Laguna
Country
Australia
Oceania
About the author
Mirandi Riwoe
Mirandi Riwoe

Mirandi Riwoe is an Australian novelist and short-story writer based in Brisbane. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing and Literary Studies from Queensland University of Technology. Her fiction explores migration, cultural identity, belonging, and the experiences of people whose stories have often been overlooked in mainstream historical narratives. Riwoe gained recognition with her novella The Fish Girl (2017), which won the Viva la Novella prize and was shortlisted for the Stella Prize. Her novel Stone Sky Gold Mountain (2020), set during Australia’s nineteenth-century gold rush, follows two Chinese siblings navigating prejudice and uncertainty in colonial Australia. The novel won the Queensland Literary Award for Fiction and the inaugural ARA Historical Novel Prize, and was shortlisted for the Stella Prize. Her subsequent novel, Sunbirds (2023), explores love, loyalty, and colonialism in Java during the Second World War. Riwoe’s short fiction has appeared in publications and anthologies including Meanjin, Griffith Review, and Best Australian Stories. Her writing is known for its nuanced portrayal of cultural encounters and its attention to the lives of women and marginalized communities. In A Short History of Longans (2026), Riwoe continues her exploration of ancestry, memory, and belonging through the interconnected stories of an Irish-Chinese family across generations in Australia.

View author page
Details
Published
2026
Author
Mirandi Riwoe