Hua's short stories in this collection have been praised for their complex exploration of the immigrant experience in America. Set in San Francisco, the protagonists of these stories belong to immigrant communities and have the unique and liminal experience of being "straddled between two worlds."
As is suggested by the title, the idea of "deceit" plays a key part in these stories. Many of the protagonists battle with their own experiences of deceit, which is often necessary and complex. For example in "The Responsibility of Deceit," Calvin struggles with his sexuality and the fact he must lie to his parents about it. However, he ultimately understands that this is a necessary lie, as he doesn't want to risk potentially losing his parents.
Another common theme across these stories is the fear of parental disappointment. For many of Hua's characters, the fear of disappointing one's parents is paramount, causing considerable anxiety and distress. For example, Elaine is so afraid of disappointing her parents that she lies about attending Stanford university, ultimately leading to a sense of disillusionment and liminality when she gets rejected for a second time.
