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corene's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
han12's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
andyfernandy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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
5.0
orch_la's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.75
yawningtiger's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
michellehenriereads's review
5.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Genre: General Fiction, Literary Fiction
Format: Dual POV, Dual Timeline: 1960s & 1990s
Spice Level: Low (This is not a romance, but it has romantic elements. Pretty much closed door.)
Content warnings will be listed at the end because they include some spoilers.
I really enjoy this book. At first I was confused because of the switch back and forth. (But I'd not read the description for a month and had forgotten it was a mother and daughter.)
Sook-Yin is sent to London to restore the family's honor. This is a heavy burden, especially when she's been told that she's stupid and not worthy of notice. As a transplant in the 60's, she is very alone. And she is constantly misinterpreted through her life. Sook-Yin's marriage is not what she expected. But her spirit is strong, and she's a fighter.
Lilly has struggled her entire life to understand who she is and why she's suffering Her sister is her only support system. She believes she has a few memories of their time in Hong Kong, but her sister assures her she was too little to remember. As she sets out on this journey to Hong Kong, she discovers secrets and lies that rock her foundation.
The emotions of not belonging are intense and the writing drives it home. One of my struggles was to understand why Sook- 's brother was so awful. (This is part of the entire novel—delving into relationships, so we weren't supposed to understand. When she figured it out, it was an aha moment for me too. Then I wondered what lens am I seeing people through.
Themes center around belonging, relationships, and the turmoil from finding our place. The handover of Hong Kong to China is an exterior (almost gothic because it's a character) representation of the divide within the lives of Sook-Yin and Lilly.
The prose is amazing! Not that prose stands without a story, but the way Wharton weaves in metaphors is beautiful. I marked so many of them because I want to read them again and again.
I felt satisfied with the ending. This was a big undertaking (I believe for a debut novel). Masterfully crafted. Seriously, I couldn't put it down. The structure is a bit circular, which I also enjoyed.
I highly recommend it.
Happy reading!
Potential Content Issues: racism, self-harm, misuse of power by a person in power, rape (but not graphic and comes off more as giving up)
All of these were handled well, and I'm a sensitive reader and was fine.
Genre: General Fiction, Literary Fiction
Format: Dual POV, Dual Timeline: 1960s & 1990s
Spice Level: Low (This is not a romance, but it has romantic elements. Pretty much closed door.)
Content warnings will be listed at the end because they include some spoilers.
I really enjoy this book. At first I was confused because of the switch back and forth. (But I'd not read the description for a month and had forgotten it was a mother and daughter.)
Sook-Yin is sent to London to restore the family's honor. This is a heavy burden, especially when she's been told that she's stupid and not worthy of notice. As a transplant in the 60's, she is very alone. And she is constantly misinterpreted through her life. Sook-Yin's marriage is not what she expected. But her spirit is strong, and she's a fighter.
Lilly has struggled her entire life to understand who she is and why she's suffering Her sister is her only support system. She believes she has a few memories of their time in Hong Kong, but her sister assures her she was too little to remember. As she sets out on this journey to Hong Kong, she discovers secrets and lies that rock her foundation.
The emotions of not belonging are intense and the writing drives it home. One of my struggles was to understand why Sook- 's brother was so awful. (This is part of the entire novel—delving into relationships, so we weren't supposed to understand. When she figured it out, it was an aha moment for me too. Then I wondered what lens am I seeing people through.
Themes center around belonging, relationships, and the turmoil from finding our place. The handover of Hong Kong to China is an exterior (almost gothic because it's a character) representation of the divide within the lives of Sook-Yin and Lilly.
The prose is amazing! Not that prose stands without a story, but the way Wharton weaves in metaphors is beautiful. I marked so many of them because I want to read them again and again.
I felt satisfied with the ending. This was a big undertaking (I believe for a debut novel). Masterfully crafted. Seriously, I couldn't put it down. The structure is a bit circular, which I also enjoyed.
I highly recommend it.
Happy reading!
Potential Content Issues: racism, self-harm, misuse of power by a person in power, rape (but not graphic and comes off more as giving up)
All of these were handled well, and I'm a sensitive reader and was fine.
hennie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
Moderate: Suicide attempt
hollysar's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
katndrsn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Violence, War, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Kidnapping
keysersuze's review against another edition
4.0
This is the story of sisters, of family you wish you had and which you didn’t know you have. It’s about navigating painful family secrets and present day challenges.
Sook-Yin moves from Hong Kong to London in the 1960s, with a dream of becoming a nurse. She’s utterly bewildered in the culture change, grateful for the friend she makes and the friends from home who are also in London. She leaves behind her small family, including a mean spirited brother.
In a dual timeline, and 30+ years later, we meet Li-Li/Lily, Sook-Yin’s daughter. She’s got her own struggles, recovering from a recent bout of depression. Compared with her successful sister, Maya, she feels inadequate. This mirroring of mother and daughter continues throughout the book, in a thoughtful, subtle way.
Lily gets a mysterious letter, informing her that she’s inherited a large sum of money, from someone she doesn’t know. The caveat is that she needs to go to a specified address in Hong Kong, within the mourning period. Her sister Maya has had the same letter, and declares that she’s not interested in the cash. But Lily needs the money, her dream of becoming a concert pianist is no longer possible.
WIz Wharton’s writing is beautiful, and I could actually see this on screen as a miniseries - the contrast between London in the 1960s and Hong Kong on the eve of being returned to China, would be a really effective way to tell the story.
I thought it all wrapped up quite quickly - the last chapter or two seemed to be centred on tying up loose ends, in a little bit of a rush. It felt like it could have been a bit longer, as if there was something edited out or removed from the original narrative. I would have liked to have read more about the glamour in Hong Kong.
It reminded me of Yolk, specifically the relationship between the sisters. Also Brit Bennett’s The Better Half, and actually, Fleabag (the TV series), again, around the sister dynamic. This should definitely be more prominent on social media, and I’m surprised it’s not been promoted very much, I really enjoyed it.
Sook-Yin moves from Hong Kong to London in the 1960s, with a dream of becoming a nurse. She’s utterly bewildered in the culture change, grateful for the friend she makes and the friends from home who are also in London. She leaves behind her small family, including a mean spirited brother.
In a dual timeline, and 30+ years later, we meet Li-Li/Lily, Sook-Yin’s daughter. She’s got her own struggles, recovering from a recent bout of depression. Compared with her successful sister, Maya, she feels inadequate. This mirroring of mother and daughter continues throughout the book, in a thoughtful, subtle way.
Lily gets a mysterious letter, informing her that she’s inherited a large sum of money, from someone she doesn’t know. The caveat is that she needs to go to a specified address in Hong Kong, within the mourning period. Her sister Maya has had the same letter, and declares that she’s not interested in the cash. But Lily needs the money, her dream of becoming a concert pianist is no longer possible.
WIz Wharton’s writing is beautiful, and I could actually see this on screen as a miniseries - the contrast between London in the 1960s and Hong Kong on the eve of being returned to China, would be a really effective way to tell the story.
I thought it all wrapped up quite quickly - the last chapter or two seemed to be centred on tying up loose ends, in a little bit of a rush. It felt like it could have been a bit longer, as if there was something edited out or removed from the original narrative. I would have liked to have read more about the glamour in Hong Kong.
It reminded me of Yolk, specifically the relationship between the sisters. Also Brit Bennett’s The Better Half, and actually, Fleabag (the TV series), again, around the sister dynamic. This should definitely be more prominent on social media, and I’m surprised it’s not been promoted very much, I really enjoyed it.