The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Chang, Alexandra. Days of Distraction. HarperCollins, 2020.

Alexandra Chang's first person novel Days of Distraction employs a fragmented narrative structure, which enacts Alexandra's restless state of mind. While the novel does not adhere to a conventional plot line, the following summary adopts a more linear avenue of exploration.

In Part I, "San Francisco," Alexandra grows anxious as she tries to decide whether or not to move with her boyfriend, J, when he leaves for school. Besides the two years she spent in Shanghai as a child, she has never lived anywhere else besides California. In the narrative present, she lives in a small house with J, and writes for a technology publication. As J applies for schools, Alexandra tries ignoring her looming anxieties. At work, things grow increasingly uncertain when the company hires a new editor-in-chief. Though her desk mate, Tim, assures her she has job security, Alexandra is unsure. No matter how hard she works and how many times she asks for a raise, her work efforts seem to go unnoticed. Her editors tell her she is talented, but compare her work to that of a robot. They also insist that upcoming company changes preclude them from paying her more money. As the months pass, Alexandra notices more and more instances of racial discrimination as well. She and her best friend in the company, Jasmine, vent about these dynamics. Jasmine also discusses her disgust with dating white men, annoyed by how perfect Alexandra's relationship with J appears.

Once J gets accepted to Cornell, he and Alexandra begin planning their move to Ithaca. Alexandra still cannot decide what to do about her job. If she leaves, she will not have the predictability, nor the salary, from her position. If she keeps the job, however, she will be tied to the same toxic work culture. After her editor promises she can stay on doing freelance work, Alexandra keeps the job and accepts the menial raise. She and J finish packing up.

In Part II, "Road Trip," Alexandra struggles to part with her family when she and J stop in Davis to say goodbye. On the road, however, she feels a momentary sense of excitement. As the hours and days pass, her excitement fades and she grows increasingly restless. J is distracted by a boring zombie apocalypse audiobook, and dismisses most of what she says. The more places they stop, the more Alexandra notices how white the country is. She feels exposed and perpetually in danger. Whenever she tries explaining these feelings to J, he minimizes her feelings and returns to his book. Irritated and confused, Alexandra decides to start researching the history of interracial marriage. Her research makes her remember all the times she encountered racial discrimination in her own life. The longer they drive, the more anxious Alexandra is to arrive.

In Part III, "Ithaca," Alexandra struggles to orient to her new life in Ithaca. With her new freelance job, no friends, and little to no time with J, Alexandra feels increasingly lonely. She tries distracting herself with phone conversations, social media scrolling, reading, and porn. None of these pastimes make her feel any better. She wants to feel freed by her new routine, but all the time she has makes her increasingly aware of how little she understands who she is and what she wants.

After she and J find a permanent living situation, J's parents send them a new dog. The dog becomes a constant source of comfort to Alexandra. She talks to the dog when she cannot talk to J. She takes the dogs on runs in order to give herself more time outside the apartment. Though she loves the dog, Alexandra still feels restless. Her new job curating the local museum archives similarly does not succeed in eliminating her distress. Then one day, she finds a portrait of Yamei Kin in the museum boxes, takes it home, and pins it on the wall above her desk. In the days following, she becomes increasingly invested in learning about Yamei Kin's story.

As the weeks and months pass, Alexandra spends more and more time reading and writing. Meanwhile, her relationship with J slips. They argue almost all of the time, so that Alexandra begins wondering if their relationship is capable of lasting. Finally she decides to visit her father in Shanghai to get some perspective.

In Part IV, "A Father Without a Home," Alexandra travels to Shanghai to visit her father. While there, her father takes her all around the city, introducing her to all the places he frequents, and people he knows. Though Alexandra is happy to be with her father, his constant talking and drinking exhaust her. Eventually she realizes how much truth is in his stories, and begins feeling not only about her relationship, but about who she is and what she wants.

In Part V, "Return," J picks Alexandra up from the airport. On the drive home, Alexandra feels a newfound sense of calm. She realizes she cannot control everything in her life, and opens herself to the unknown.