The following version of this novel was used in the creation of this study guide: Chang, Lan Samantha. The Family Chao. W.W. Norton & Company. 2022. Hardcover.

The novel begins with James in Union Station on December 21st as he tries to save a man from a heart attack, but fails. When the man accidentally leaves a carpet bag behind, James takes it and plans to return it to the man's family. Once James reaches Haven, Wisconsin, he meets up with his older brother Ming who now lives in New York and refuses to stay home for long. James also meets his father, Leo, who is revealed to be both narcissistic and vulgar. This, along with his countless insults and broken promises, means that most everyone - including his sons - now hate him. Even his loyal wife Winnie abandoned the home to move into the Spiritual House, a fact that Leo mocks her about often.

Later, James, Ming, and the oldest brother Dagou meet with the abbess of the Spiritual House named Gu Ling Zhu Chi to have their fortunes told. She says that James will have a great adventure, but Ming will fall extremely ill. She also warns Dagou to stay away from the family restaurant. Despite this, Dagou announces that he wants to accept his father's promise from six years prior and become a co-owner of the business. However, Leo refuses to acknowledge his son, much to Dagou's fury. As he leaves, Gu Ling Zhu Chi warns Leo that he is facing a bad death, but he dismisses her.

As the Christmas party Dagou is planning gets closer, it is revealed that he was engaged to his longtime friend Katherine, but is now in love with Brenda and wants the family ring back from Katherine. She, however, is convinced that he still loves her and refuses to return it. At the same time, Alf runs away and James learns that the bag he had likely contains a family fortune. However, he forgets to check on it so that he can sleep with his childhood love, Alice. Then, when Winnie suffers a stroke, Dagou accuses Leo of causing her illness and threatens to kill him after already revealing that he dreams of it often.

At the party, Dagou uses the money he had stored away for a lavish feast in hopes of impressing his friends and his father. When he asks about the restaurant again, Leo announces that he sold it and Dagou is now unemployed. However, even when Leo reveals that it was all a joke, Dagou decides that he will not let Leo control his life any longer as he follows him down into the freezer. During this, Katherine notices that Leo's office door is open and Ming is rushing back home, as the plane he took was stopped due to the storm.

Three months later, it is revealed that Dagou is being charged for the murder of Leo as his body was found in the freezer the day after the party. However, Dagou holds to his innocence, claiming that he did not actually close the door or take the key that would have locked Leo inside. Over time, the prosecution uses numerous Asian stereotypes and racist undertones to turn the all white jury against Dagou while his own lawyer proves that many of the rumors are false and that the police coerced a confession by threatening Dagou's mother. Throughout all of this, Ming begins to lose control of his thoughts and devolves into fits of Mania. James continues his sexual relationship with Alice, but is still confused about his future. It is also revealed that the carpet bag did contain $50,000, though no one knows where it has gone. The prosecution, however, tries to prove that Dagou must have taken it while trying to paint Leo as a loving, stoic father that was betrayed by his monstrous son.

Soon, Ming realizes that the restaurant worker, O-Lan, is actually Leo's daughter. She confirms this, saying that Leo abandoned her mother and stole the family ring years prior. While O-Lan mentions that her mother wanted to destroy Leo's life, she actually accuses Ming of being responsible for the murder, saying that he knew it was coming and did nothing to stop it. As more witnesses are turned against Dagou by the prosecution, Dagou takes the stand and declares his innocence. However, his desperation to prove it leads him to admit that he hated Leo and imagined what it would be like to kill him, but never did it. Furthermore, when Ming tries to claim that he is the real culprit, Katherine reveals that she actually found the freezer key in Dagou's pocket. Meanwhile, at Ming's insistence, James confronts O-Lan, certain she has more to do with the murder than she claims. However, he lets her go, and Dagou is found guilty of Leo's murder.

Six months later, the family is still working to appeal Dagou's sentence as they still believe he is innocent and the evidence was too circumstantial. Ming has abandoned his dream of living as a rich man in New York and now makes his home in Haven, keeping the restaurant going so Dagou can have it back in the future. James is still not certain what he wants to do with his life while both Brenda and Katherine stand by Dagou. Meanwhile, O-Lan - whose real name is revealed to be Chao Ru - enjoys life with her mother's ring, far from the Chao family.