Underspin

''An electric debut'' Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of Four Treasures of the Sky
''Zhao''s prose is a marvel'' Rob Franklin, author of Great Black Hope

Ryan Lo begins playing table tennis at age eight. His brilliant but ruthless coach sees a talent in him that might be nurtured into greatness.

Through an adolescence marked by hours of practice, matches away from home, clandestine relationships and a de...