Quick Take on the Story
Set in 1980s Sacramento, Ghost Boy is one of the most emotionally resonant stories in Sacramento Noir. It’s not told from the ghost’s perspective—but its presence is felt in every line. It lingers in silence, grief, and disconnection. Gina, the story’s protagonist, is navigating generational wounds and cultural expectations while reckoning with something that might be haunting her—or living inside her.
What struck me most was how Soong captures grief and trauma without ever naming it directly. The absence of language—the way silence gets passed down—feels especially poignant. The “curse” in the story isn’t supernatural. It’s generational expectation. Identity. The labels we carry before we even know what they mean. This story stayed with me long after the last page.
Watch the Interview
“The ghosts are layered. It’s not just one thing.” – Jen Soong
Why This Conversation Mattered
This conversation captured what I love most about stories—the quiet ones that leave a lasting echo. Jen and I talked about what it means to be told who you are before you even know yourself—and how that kind of inheritance shapes how you move through the world.
It’s why I started Four Eye Books in the first place: to make space for stories where memory, place, and quiet resistance take center stage. Jen’s reflections on silence, folklore, and identity opened up something that felt both deeply personal and widely relatable.
Highlights from the Conversation
On writing around silence:
“In Ghost Boy, the main character has grown up surrounded by absences: a mother who left her, and a grandmother fading into dementia. That silence becomes a kind of inheritance.”
On the ghost as metaphor:
“It’s everything that follows us—regrets, losses, identities we try to shed. That’s what I wanted to explore—what happens when something you’ve been trying to avoid becomes a part of you.”
On generational curses:
“There’s a fortune teller who tells the protagonist she’s ‘trouble.’ Her mother dismisses it, but it sticks. Those labels—especially when given to children—can become burdens.”
On what surprised her in the writing process:
“I wasn’t sure I could write a noir story! But I found the constraints really energizing. Even in a short space, I wanted to build a layered character.”
On what she hopes readers carry with them:
“I hope readers come away with the message that their story matters—who they are and where they come from matters.”
Place & Atmosphere
Set in Southside Park, Ghost Boy grounds its emotional core in the city’s physical spaces. But those spaces feel faded—remembered more than seen. That haziness mirrors the story itself: memory, presence, and the weight of what’s been buried.
Even though Jen didn’t grow up in Sacramento, her connection to the city’s layered histories runs deep. The ghost may be fiction—but the silence, the survival, the invisibility—they’re all very real.
Final Reflection
“I want to give voice to characters we don’t often see on the page. I hope readers come away with the message that their story matters—who they are and where they come from matters.”
Jen’s closing words felt like both a whisper and a declaration—an echo of the story’s own quiet power.
About the Author
Jen Soong is the daughter of Chinese immigrants and an alum of Tin House and VONA. She received her MFA from UC Davis and currently lives in Northern California. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Audacity, Black Warrior Review, Waxwing, and more. Her memoir-in-progress is a reckoning of myth and migration.
🌐 jensoong.com
Keep Exploring
Enjoyed this conversation? Explore more voices from Sacramento Noir or check out other author interviews from Four Eye Books. Every story offers a new way of seeing. What new perspective will you take with you?
📘 Ghost Boy appears in Sacramento Noir, published by Akashic Books.
📺 Watch more author interviews
Turn the page, take the trip—what new perspective awaits?
Behind the Interview
Every Four Eye Books interview is grounded in curiosity, connection, and care.
Each author receives a custom set of questions aligned with our signature Four Lenses—Story, Time & Place, Big Ideas, and Reflection. Jen selected questions that explored silence, folklore, generational pressure, and personal surprise. From there, we let the conversation flow.
Our goal isn’t just to ask good questions—it’s to create space for authors to speak honestly about their work and the world that shaped it.
This conversation was recorded in June 2025 and is part of our Sacramento Noir Summer series.
