jukietoss 's review for:

Gingko Season by Naomi Xu Elegant

5.0

hopeful reflective relaxing 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

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I loved this new adult coming-of-age story taking place in Philly in 2018. In some ways, it felt like it was in conversation with Sarah Thankam Mathews' outstanding ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT. Here, we have recent graduates embarking on careers nine years after Thankam Matthews' characters did, and as such it takes a slightly different--less radical, more restrained--view on the cultural changes required for society to thrive. But similarly these characters--and our MC Penelope in particular--are trying to figure out how to align their vocation with their purpose, how much faith to put in institutions, and how to and how far to distance themselves from their inherited trauma. 

Xu Elegant's writing style is so appealing, and she builds her characters and their relationships with such warmth that their humanity brims. I loved getting to know Penelope and her expanding cast of friends as she also expands her sense of self. This is a book that demonstrates the principle that we are who we're friends with; we see it in practice as Penelope evolves over the course of the book. Each friendship and romantic entanglement is beautifully fleshed out. I could see in every case why the characters were drawn together, even as they each had human flaws. 

As for setting, I also particularly enjoyed reading this Philadelphia-based story, largely taking place in Philly's Chinatown. The specificity with which Xu Elegant painted Penelope's apartment and roommates, the negotiations around which language they'd speak when, and the ways in which cuisine and culture maintained some traditions and created new ones added a richness to the story. By creating such a clear picture, Xu Elegant also highlights the vast range of diasporic experience. There is no monolith. 

Despite the book's engagement with social and political realities, it comes across as engaged/engaging rather than preachy, and never naive. It's a beautiful story of learning yourself as a new adult and understanding what that means you take on and what you shed.  I recommend GINGKO SEASON to anyone looking for a thoughtful story where new adults learn the power of connection, the challenges of vulnerability, and ways in which their decisions determine more than just their path, but rather that of the collective.