Key learning points

1. Understanding where and when a story is set enhances our understanding of characters and events.
2. Understanding the authorial context enhances our understanding of why authorial choices are made.
3. 'Front Desk' is a fictional story, but the plot of the narrative is based on real events from the author's childhood.
4. Kelly Yang is the author of ’Front Desk’.
5. 'Front Desk' was published in 2018 and it has won many book awards.

Keywords

• Protagonist - the main character in a story

• Immigrant - a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country

• Motel - a hotel designed mainly for motorists; they usually have rooms with parking directly outside

• Plot - the series of events that make up a story

• Theme - a central idea that the author intends the audience to engage deeply with

Common misconception