nayaali96 's review for:

A Quitter's Paradise by Elysha Chang

4.0

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A Quitter's Paradise is a debut novel by Elysha Chang that follows Eleanor Liu who is struggling to come to terms with her mother's death. Her grief starts to unravel all parts of her life - her marriage, her career, and her relationships with her estranged family. The novel in parallel follows both Eleanor's current struggle with grief over the death of a mother she never truly knew, and flashbacks of how her parents immigrated to America from the military villages of Taipei. Elysha Chang beautifully interweaves these stories and alternates between points of views throughout the novel.

I loved the writing and found the non-linear timelines very engaging. I found the exploration of Eleanor's complicated relationship with her parents to be the highlight of the novel. We see how Eleanor's childhood affects her present life, through her complicated relationship with her husband and her propensity to hide parts of herself in order to please others (even though in the long-run it only negatively affects her and the people around her who care for her). Despite the occasional disconnection caused by the abrupt time jumps at times, the book is an enjoyable read, highlighting Chang's remarkable writing skills and I am excited to read more from her!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for providing me with a digital arc in return for an honest review.
A Quitter's Paradise comes out June 6th!