Scan barcode
A review by lisaeirene
Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen
3.0
The main character, Gretchen, leaves San Francisco and returns home to Singapore temporarily when her marriage ends abruptly. Her husband has decided to live with his 20 year old teaching assistant. In Singapore she stays with her aging parents and works temporarily at her family's soy sauce factory that was started by her grandfather.
The story is about redemption, healing, reconnecting with her parents, finding herself after divorce and family secrets.
I liked the book a lot. It was interesting reading about the cultural differences. I went back and forth between liking and disliking the main character, though. Sometimes I liked her and then sometimes she came across as kind of a terrible person--not very nice to her friends, kind of bratty and self-absorbed. I know that characters need to have flaws and grow from them but...if not done well in a book it can really detract. This book was right on the edge for me in that aspect.
The story is about redemption, healing, reconnecting with her parents, finding herself after divorce and family secrets.
I liked the book a lot. It was interesting reading about the cultural differences. I went back and forth between liking and disliking the main character, though. Sometimes I liked her and then sometimes she came across as kind of a terrible person--not very nice to her friends, kind of bratty and self-absorbed. I know that characters need to have flaws and grow from them but...if not done well in a book it can really detract. This book was right on the edge for me in that aspect.