Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Leftover Woman

The Leftover Woman is the story of two mothers - a birth mother who was told her child had died and an adopted mother who had no idea her child’s adoption was anything less than legitimate - and the daughter they unknowingly share. It also traverses China’s one child policy, abusive relationships, the plight of undocumented workers, organised crime, wealth, class, and a publishing industry scandal. With the exception of the high stakes action-packed ending I found the plot fairly predictable - and I probably should have seen that, or some variant of it, coming. It saddened me that the “best” option for the child was considered to be the wealthiest option. I understand and appreciate the need for stability and security, and the link between financial resources and quality of life and opportunities. Yet children need so much more than money, and money does not necessarily equate to a child’s best interests. While this story was poignant in places and did leave me with something to think about, overall its beats felt a little too obvious, sometimes cliched and overly dramatic, to be fully satisfying.

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mysterymom40's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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lindsayerin's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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rachelle_reads's review

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The contrast that the author sets up between the two narrators is stark. Both women wish to mother the child at the center of the story. Both have to make sacrifices for their work. Both have difficulties with their husbands. And yet, their lives are so drastically different.

This is a page-turning thriller with powerful commentary on class, citizenship and immigration, language, marriage, and what it means to be a woman and mother.

If I had a complaint, it’s the way the book ended. This is a general comment about pacing, but I’ll use the spoiler tags in case you don’t want any clues:

The end felt like running into a brick wall. It didn’t feel like everything was tied up too neatly, but I wished for more reflection - a longer epilogue maybe?

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