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Some interesting themes, but these themes and the characters were not developed enough.

As an immigrant story, I really like this book. I think of IRL immigrants to America who give up their education-based careers only to find menial work in America but that‘s acceptable to them for the freedoms to be experienced by their descendants. …But also there is a 26-yo man who mentors a 6-yo girl, and years later a love story ensues. That‘s kind of ewe, but I understand why it happens.

July 2024 #BookSpin Category: published 2022-23

I enjoyed this take on a Chinese family immigrant story.

Tony moved his family to the US from China looking for a better life. I really liked how the author weaved everyone‘s stories and there are some beautiful passages about family and loyalty (and some very thought-provoking ones about discrimination, sexism and racism) throughout the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

50 pages in and really liking this…Also, feels nice to read a physical book, since I‘ve been mostly reading on my Kindle lately.

This started off really good (the young girl falling in love with the older man troupe was a little gross to me though)and the story kept me captivated and then it just kinda ended abruptly. It was just so-so to me.

There were some very beautiful and insightful moments about family, loyalty to one‘s culture and the emotional struggles of an immigrant family, but the creepy relationship that started between a 9 year old girl and a 26 year old man was never addressed in a way that made me feel comfortable. Much better stories available.

Tony brought his family to the US from China when daughter Tammy was very young. We see him struggle to navigate his way back to a position like he held in China while pushing Tammy to excel. Alongside their story is that of wealthy white man Oliver. This book shows both this family‘s immigrant story and the reverberations and impacts of greed without feeling bloated.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this recent #botm selection by Susie Luo! I was totally absorbed in this well crafted story about a couple who comes to America from China for their daughter and how their lives play out over decades. Told from multiple POVs and time periods, the book is still very easy to follow and expertly written. I felt like I really got to know these characters in only 284 pages, and I recommend this highly!

#botm arrived today!

I really enjoyed this debut novel about the Chinese immigrant experience in America. It is told from three points of view, Tony, his daughter Tammy and Oliver, a family friend. Spanning over many years up to 2016, it does jump around in time a lot, but I never found it difficult to follow. It deals with the sacrifice people make to give their children a better life, and while a serious story it is told with a lot of humour as well. 4/5 stars!

My #botm picks! I became a BFF last month and it was also my birthday month so I got to pick a free add-on 🎉