This one of the best books I’ve read in years. Incredibly engaging and tender, it was a pleasure to get lost in, especially as a new mother. I seldom give books as gifts, but this is already on my list for a few friends and relatives. Eagerly awaiting Hua’s next novel!

I really enjoyed this debut novel. I always have an appreciation for stories about the immigrant experience, and this one added in tons of rich detail about Chinese culture from the food, personalities, and motivations. This was a very well-done story about motherhood, the American dream, and finding one's place in the world.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this title. It just isn't the right fit for me. I will not post a review online.

Humor and tragedy goes hand in hand with this inspiring novel. It is an emotional rollercoaster of crying and laughing as the author shares immigration stories of those who want

This book is bursting with vivid characters, realistic in their motivations and interactions. It's a cross between Carl Hiassan and Maxine Hong Kingston -- the madcap adventure with a twist of Chinese culture and history and angst thrown in. Plus, the issues of motherhood and power and relationship. Highly enjoyable, thought provoking and beautifully written book.

This week I’ve gone back to several books that I had a hard time with previously and this was one of them. Once again I tried, and I have come to the conclusion that this one is just not for me. Does not mean it’s bad, just means I’m not the right reader for it.

I typically find immigrant stories to be very inspiring and informative. I don't know what it's like to be an immigrant, so it's always interesting to learn more about this type of experience. There is a great richness of details in Hua's book (everything from traditional Chinese cuisine to how Chinese mothers give birth in the US so that their babies will have American citizenship). However, despite the fascinating subject matter, this book felt like a bit of a slog. The very beginning and the end featured a fast-paced narrative, but the middle was just way too long without a lot of action. I really enjoyed a lot of the characters (especially Scarlett and Mama Fang), but I felt like the story would have been better served if the reader was able to go further with the side characters (instead of them getting a throw-away chapter or two). Just mentioning them briefly felt like an odd shift in perspective. The ending felt way too rushed to me as well. Everything was wrapped up nicely (but almost too nicely). I would have loved the middle section to be quicker so that we could spend more time figuring out how these characters ended up where they were at the end of the novel.

Hua adds to the tapestry of the Chinese diaspora by an in-depth look at the protagonist who develops a fleeting romance with her boss to eventually discover that the romance was only a veil over his desire for a son in a patriarchal society. She finds herself in an LA home where she has been sequestered to give birth on US soil; a scheme crafted by her business tycoon partner who already has a family in HK. As her suspicion builds of how this unfolding narrative could only lead to her being tossed by the wayside after her child is born, she attempts to take advantage of her circumstances by running away and making a life for herself in America. A story that gives us a window into the complicated situations that bring migrants to America, Hua does an excellent job of contextualizing American stories without centering the white gaze. It doesn't provide a lot of color to characters outside of the female protagonist and there is a definite binary between protagonist and antagonist which I find unhelpful to give characters depth, I think it is an important story and lesson in the symbol of the Pearl River Delta, American immigration, and survival.

Two pregnant woman on the run away from and toward their future makes for a great story about women who will do anything to control their fate.

A River Of Stars, to me, was an accurate portrayal of Storks Nests of Chinese women who go to the US to give birth so that their babies will have foreign passports. This is a hugely common practice. The drama shown through the words of the story kept me reading. I wanted to know what happened to the two main characters, as well as supporting characters. Having lived in China for several years, this story really intrigued me, but I believe it will be a good read for anyone who enjoys good literature. The story is unique and the story's turns are unpredictable.

River of Stars is the intriguing story of Scarlet, a native Chinese woman, "forced" to come to California to give birth to her married boss's son (i.e. she's pregnant and boss dude is very excited for a male heir). There's a bit of unbelievablity to this story though. I didn't mind how she escaped the "birthing home" and drove to San Francisco, what really confused me is how easy the story wrapped up considering the complicated relationships and circumstances the characters were thrown into. For example, she got her green card/citizenship extremely quick. Like, huh? Or how in the end we were suppose to sympathize with Boss Heung's character because he was (not really) a changed man.

However, the things I enjoyed were the look at immigration issues, the separation between classes in Chinese society, the relationship between Scarlett and her mother, and the folktale that tied into the title of the book. The latter really saved it for me (and was a bit nostalgic since it was a folktale I read in my childhood and stuck with me). Had it not been that connection, the book would have been a three. Interesting in the beginning, a lull in the middle, and then it picked up real fast at the end.

A River of Stars was a thought provoking novel about immigration from China and the lengths a mother will go to, for her baby. A story of a pregnant Chinese woman, which was sent to California to give birth to her son, and the struggles to become a part of the American dream. Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy of this book, all opinions are me own.

Scarlett Chen is thirty-six-years old when she has an affair with her married boss at the factory she works at. He sends her to America to a house for pregnant women where they’re told the only things they can eat and do. He does this to give what he thinks will be his first son all the advantages America offers. Scarlett realizes that he’ll take the baby away from her, so she goes on the run to protect her child. Even though she hadn’t planned on having a kid and certainly not under these circumstances, she does everything she can think of to protect herself and her little on. It’s not an easy thing to do when she only speaks a little English and has no money and no proper paperwork to earn money.

This is sort of a difficult read in that’s it’s depressing to read about people with no power going against people with power and money, but you’re routing for Scarlett and are impressed at her successes against all odds.

My Takeaway

“Here in America, she might change the world — but she had to hurry before someone else did.”
Vanessa Hua, A River of Stars

Before reading A River of Stars, I had no idea birthing centers or “maternity hotels” (as they’re known) existed right here in the United States. If you are asking yourself what the heck is a maternity hotel, let me explain. Basically, maternity hotels house Chinese women who want to give birth in America at a cost of between $25,000 to $40,000. Chinese women arrive at these so-called hotels while around 6-7 months pregnant and by giving birth in the United States their newborn is automatically an American citizen. It seems the vast majority of the women return home after birth, but in A River of Stars, two of the women (Scarlett and Daisy) escape the center in a stolen van and give the American dream their best shot(s). Hua is a detailed writer (lots of facts in the novel) who weaves an incredible story full of intricate and amusing individuals. She brought the characters to life and gave me a front row seat to the Chinese immigrant experience. If you enjoy immigrant stories, I recommend you get yourself a copy (great choice for book clubs). Also, if you would like to know more about birthing centers, click here.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. I ended up buying my own copy. 🙂

As I meandered through this book I knew I wouldn't love it but I stuck with it and was glad I did. If you like slow reads, and especially if you enjoyed the likes of Pachinko, then this one should be on your TBR. Though I also finished Pachinko with some pretty lukewarm feelings, Vanessa Hua's debut novel is much more condensed and that better served the slow-moving story. There is actually quite a bit of action but it is spread out and separated by long bouts of banality, which, though oft beautiful also felt at other times unnecessary and confusing. The last 40 pages included enough great material for me to settle on this being a solid 3-star read and I'd certainly read another book by Hua in the future.

Scarlett is greatly pregnant and recently shipped off to America by her lover, Boss Yeung, who, desperate for a son, is scheming to get a US-born heir to whom he can gift his company and wealth before he dies. In the compound he's arranged for her to stay at in California, she befriends a pregnant teenager, Daisy, as they both consider escaping rather than waiting to give birth under the manipulative authority of Mama Feng. When the compound is raided and all the women have fled, Boss Yeung visits in search for clues as to where Scarlett and Daisy may have gone. The following story is full of secrets behind the Chinese protagonists as the new mothers struggle to keep their heads above water while relying on each other for help with their newborns, and Boss Yeung enlists his old friend and his eldest daughter to help search for his missing son.

Scarlett Chen is pregnant and arrangements are made for her to stay at a resort like live that her lover arranges. They want their baby to be a U.S. citizen so Scarlett moves from China to this home run by Mama Fang. Scarlett ends up on the run and her adventures as a single mother holed up in Chinatown in San Francisco as her lover and others search for her. Genetics, illness, parentage, immigration, gay marriage are some of the topics touched upon.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Hua's novel is the sometimes fantastical tale of a Chinese woman sent to America to give birth to her married lover's baby, and explores the many tendrils that ensue from her decision to escape with her child. A compelling look at an immigrant's story.

An incredibly timely and powerful novel about the American dream, motherhood and so much more. I was rooting for Scarlett the whole way.

While I consider myself a diverse reader, there are so many books that remind me that there is so much out there to learn. This book was one of them. I've always been so passionate about China and its history, so A River of Stars the book I needed to expand my love and knowledge of Chinese culture / traditions beyond just China. This contemporary book gave me a glimpse of the lives that are limited due to social / financial obligations & expectations in modern day China and America. There book started out strong but became a bit slow and repetitive towards the middle. But, I enjoyed reading this book of two strong women that will power through limitations and obstacles for a better life with each other's help! ****

“no one left to share her memories of childhood, no one else to confirm whom she’d been before she took a job at the clinic. no wonder ma held on to the rituals that promised fortune and abundance, rituals that scarlett would now have to decide if she wanted to pass on to her daughter.”

..a slow build, #ariverofstars by #vanessahua is set in san francisco chinatown and follows scarlett and daisy, who escaped a maternity home in LA and made their way to SF, while they struggle as single mothers and develop their own personhood. what i like about a river of stars is the resilience of both scarlett and daisy and their journey to rely on each other and their neighbors for the sake of their children. however, i felt the book ended rushed and rather unrealistic for a happy ending between all characters, including scarlett's and daisy's neighbors. not quite sure this is the ending the book deserves.