A River of Stars is the story of Scarlett, a Chinese woman who becomes pregnant as the result of an affair--with the son that her lover always wanted. She is sent to America to have her baby, so that the boy can wield the powers of dual citizenship and open a pathway for his family. The plan goes off the rails, though, and Scarlett has to rely on her quick wit and newly found community to protect and uplift her family as she fights to find her place in America. Readers in the U.S. can see an immigrant perspective on the value of American citizenship, and get an inside look at Chinese immigration and integration into American culture. Rich with detail, deeply moving, and highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Scarlett and Daisy. Their struggles to assimilate and raise their children are heartwarming. I rooted for them both throughout the novel.

A great novel to read as a book club or women's rights group.

A River of Stars Vanessa Hua

Scarlett Chen is at a crossroads. She has been exiled by her powerful employer, Boss Yeung, from China to America, to wait out the birth of their son at an oppressive maternity home for wealthy Chinese pregnant women who want to ensure their babies’ American citizenship, a valuable commodity even to those who never intend to live in the United States. Scarlett knows her precarious status rests with Boss Yeung’s fervent desire for a son, after having raised only daughters with his wife. When a sonogram reveals that the baby is a girl, Scarlett panics and runs off with the maternity home’s van and, unbeknownst to her, a teen expectant mother, Daisy, who has also chafed at the restrictions placed on her life by others. What follows is a tale of friendship, trust, mistrust, betrayal, and self-determination as Scarlett and Daisy navigate the choppy waters of making a future for themselves and their children while fearful of immigration authorities and Boss Yeung’s powerful and self-serving interests. Kudos to Hua for honest portrayals of immigrant struggles which include both unrelenting hard work and suffering and comfortable willingness to take advantage of immigration loopholes and well intended charities. Hua’s writing and storytelling are frequently compelling, but the novel suffers, in my estimation, for its pat ending which seems less honest than the story that precedes it.

What a wonderful first novel by Vanessa Hua! You're almost immediately captivated by the main character, Scarlett, a temporary resident of Perfume Bay, sort of a hotel for soon-to-be mothers from China who want to give birth in the US. It's a story of three strong (whether they know it or not) women determined to succeed in America: Scarlett, Daisy and Mama Fang. They know what their lives would be like in China and are determined to stay in the US to give their children (in the case of Scarlett and Daisy) a better life with them.
I liked the main characters and found them fully developed, but also especially enjoyed the underlying themes: an immigrant's life and challenges in the US; life in China, both the cultural traditions and then specifically how women are treated; and then life in a single room occupancy building in San Francisco's Chinatown.
There's humor as well and one of my favorite scenes was when the father of Scarlett's baby (the much older factory owner where she used to work) comes to California to try and find her and her baby. Boss Yeung, breaking into Perfume Bay, was searching the vacated rooms for some clue of Scarlett's whereabouts when: "He recoiled from a giant pair of tan underpants, but then reflexively notes the quality cotton spandex fabric and the double-layer crotch - this assessment seemed second nature to him, after years of manufacturing clothes, electronics, and consumer goods."
The ending tied up all the loose ends a bit too neatly, but I was happy to learn what happened to Scarlett and Daisy and their kids.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine for the opportunity to read A River of Stars!

A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua

Scarlett was in the United States to give birth. Boss Yueng, her lover and former boss, had sent her to Perfume Bay, a home for pregnant Chinese women who want to give birth in the U.S. so their child would have U.S. citizenship. Yueng sold it to her as a haven of luxury, but now that she is here she feels like she is in a prison. Other women, some wives, some mistresses, all being monitored by Mama Yang and every single aspect of their lives managed. Scarlett yearns to escape and eventually she does with Daisy, the pregnant teenager in search of her lover. But Scarlett knows Boss Yueng will never stop looking for her and the son he believes she carries.

This is a really well written story. Before I was even thoroughly engaged in the story I was enjoying Hua’s writing style. Her descriptive language and the nuanced behaviors of her characters just highlighted humanity in a really honest way. Her writing grabbed me and led me into this story of extremely well-developed characters. I was never quite sure where this plot was going. It’s full of the desperation of motherhood and being an immigrant in a world with a language you don’t understand, looking for safety. I liked that the story was told in third person. It allowed Hua to weave all of the characters’ stories together in a way that felt natural. The reader, though focused on the lives of Scarlett and Daisy, is always aware of the action taking place.

I’d recommend this story. It’s an easy to read, yet engaging look at the sacrifices women make for their children and to survive. The look at Chinese culture and belonging was beautiful and detailed. Hua’s writing style is one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Due to current events, I think it's very important that we make an effort to keep seeing "others" as fellow human beings who have desires, hopes, and dreams no different from our own. This book does a good job of serving that purpose, packaged in nuanced characters and well-paced storytelling. Scarlett is a gem of a protagonist, Daisy the sympathetic figure that doesn't bemoan the loss of her privileged upbringing, and Boss Yeung a complex antihero. Mama Fang is the most cunning of all the characters, I thought, as admirable as she is detestable. The characters did things that may be considered questionable, but there is no self pity involved, they all keep busy and move on in subtle parallels.

In China, People would have stampeded away from such lunacy, but American's loved a circus

A River of Stars wasn't the type of book that commonly makes it to my to-be read pile. But this story was incredibly unique and different from what I usually consume. I needed a change and this was a well received change. However, it wasn't a story that I immediately took to. In fact, I would say that I had read about a third of the book before I decided this was something that was containing my interest. But if you give it time, you might just float down the River of Stars.

This story revolved heavily around the hot button and topic: Immigration. We got to go on a journey with Scarlett Chen, who was forced to America so her lover's son/heir would have American birth rights in this country. This in itself is incredibly interesting to me. I don't know much about the Chinese culture, but I certainly picked up on certain views and ideas through out Hua's story telling. After an ultra sound that determine Scarlett's child is a little girl, all hell breaks lose. And we are taken on a roller coaster ride involving two confused and uncertain mom's and their new little babes.

The story once it got started was pretty interesting. However, I had some issues with the past and present tense. Hua would often jump from current times to memories from the past. This could be really confusing at times. And I believe this was why it took me quite a bit longer than usual to be consumed by the story.

What I really enjoyed was learning tid bits about China and Hong Kong. My understanding of their culture and ideas are very American (if that makes sense). I suppose what I mean are my views are a tad insular. This book really brought some new perspective and understanding to a culture and world I know little to nothing about. It was interesting to view Americans and America from the Chinese immigrants point of view.

Overall, this story has a heavy theme of family. Family is who you make it. Lucky for Scarlett and Daisy, water can be just as thick as blood.

This book is a powerful and moving story that was unexpected in all the right ways. The rawness of Scarlett's story about her life as a new mother and an immigrant manages to be somehow both harsh and beautiful at the same time. It touches on a wide range of topics, including things like the Chinese one-child policy, same-sex marriage, and the vulnarability of undocumented immigrants, in a delicate way that is sure to pull on your heartstrings.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley in exhange for an honest review.

This book had a lot of strengths. I thought the characters were vividly drawn and memorable (the father of Scarlett's baby in particular could have been a onenote character, but by the book's ending you really start to feel for him.) I also think it did a great job of exploring family relationships and what it mean to be tied to someone else (plus offering an intriguing peek into how lesbians are perceived in China.) It's hard not to root for both Scarlett and Daisy and their babies and hope they find a way to make it.

I think I was most struck by this book's deep insight into what it means to be an immigrant--what it means to really have to hustle for survival. Both Scarlett and Mama Fang are fascinating character's in this respect because they are people we don't get to see portrayed very much in stories. They are women who can turn a bottle of plum wine into money for rent, an accidental pregnancy into a thriving business venture. In short, they both demonstrate a level of streets smarts and moxie that I think would shock most people far removed from their immigrant roots who just coast through their days following the rules and expecting things to be fairly simple and fair. Their lives are not comfortable and they are never complacent, and yet they manage to thrive. It's inspiring and enlightening.

I think, overall though, I liked the SPIRIT of this book more than the experience of reading it. Sadly, for me, the narrative lagged a bit and it felt a little long, overall. Not sure if that was a feature of editing or writing or what. Basically I LIKED this book a lot, just didn't LOVE it. Maybe more like a 3.5 for me.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. A River of Stars is a well-written story that follows the life of Scarlett on her journey into motherhood,new friendship, and trying to become a US citizen. She is a likable, but flawed protagonist. While I wanted her to succeed from the start, her actions were infuriating at times (which makes her real). I found myself thinking back to my own pregnancy, and my own hopes and dreams for my baby.
Although Scarlett’s life and mine are more different than similar, I found her relatable.

I received this book as an advanced copy from NetGalley. This book is about Scarlett, an unmarried pregnant Chinese woman who goes to America to deliver so that her baby can have US citizenship. There, she escapes her baby's father in the fear that he will take her baby from her.

This book jumped between multiple perspectives which I enjoyed. The biggest problem was that the other perspectives (Mama Fang, Daisy, Boss Yeung) were all far more interesting than Scarlett. If this book was about Mama Fang I think it would have been 5 stars. It was an interesting look at a different sort of immigrant and her resolve to make it in America.

Thank you NetGalley for this 3.5 star ARC. This immigrant story looks at many different perspectives rich, poor, etc. yet all at times feel less than who they are. I had a hard time getting into the book, but then it picked up but in fits and starts for me. At times I felt like the book was soon going to be a four star read and then it wasn’t. I did love how the various characters evolved and became a family of sorts. Overall a mixed bag for me.

When Scarlett's boss knocks her up and he finds out that the boy, he sends her from her home in China to a maternity home in California. With her in the home is Daisy, an American Born Chinese teenager, who desperately wants to find her boyfriend. When Scarlett finds out that boy is really a girl, she takes the first opportunity and flees from the home. Daisy hides away in the van, determined to escape also. The pair end up in San Francisco's China town, where they are forced to survive on their own.

This was a quick read with interesting characters. The relationship between Scarlett and Daisy was extremely well done, and kept the story vibrant and exciting. Overall, well worth picking up.

Scarlett is living in a home for pregnant Chinese women waiting to give birth in America so their children can become citizens. Placed there by her rich married lover, Scarlett escapes and tries to make a life for herself in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The story line was interesting, and a Scarlett was a strong character but the book did drag in places. I enjoyed reading about the Chinese culture. The book provides some insight on what immigrants had to go through, but I had trouble engaging with the story.

Pregnant Chinese factory worker Scarlett Chen is sent by her married boss-lover to a secret Los Angeles maternity home so their son will be born in the United States. Hua’s absorbing tale takes a turn as resourceful Scarlett and another unwed mother run away to pursue their version of the American Dream.

Minneapolis Star Tribune 6/03/18

What a wonderful book. I believe it's headed to the New York times best seller list. A lovely story about pregnant Chinese women sent to LA to have their babies born as US citizens. Lots of twists and turns. I recommend it highly..

Lovely title and such an intriguing book. Thanks for the review copy. I know people will love reading this one this fall.

A River of Stars is a bright debut brimming with hearty potential.

Scarlett is an expectant mother living in Los Angeles with a community of women who all want American birth certificates for their future children. Sent by her paramour (and boss) from China, Scarlett is at once a plucky and resourceful tenant compared to the other women. In a house that is beginning to feel like a prison rather than a retreat, she takes a leap and escapes the watchful eye of her landlord and guard Mama Fang, along with a younger teenage Mother.

The story at once weaves in ways I wasn’t expecting. Scarlett commandeers the mission, but soon comes to depend on her gutsy sidekick. As they settle in a small squalid apartment in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the father of her child begins his own journey of finding his heir. Just like Scarlett, A River of Stars barely takes a moment to breathe. Her fear of discovery by American authorities and by her and her lover Boss Yeung are always at the back of her mind and fuel her motivations as she finds her way in the city. Hua gracefully braids together themes of parenting, immigration, modern survival, and son preference, along with other nuanced observations under Scarlett’s curious and watchful eye. I found her brief flashbacks of home particularly bright, though unfortunately infrequent.

It’s in Boss Yeung’s intermittent perspectives that the novel falters. As a reader it was pure fun to see my opinion of Boss Yeung shift as the story progressed, but I felt his presence was overwrought when he carried the story. Scarlett and Daisy held a realness that bolstered the narrative; their friendship and sacrifices were tangible, unlike Boss Yeung’s slow and complicated journey to get back to Scarlett.

A River of Stars ends just as Scarlett is catching her stride. In a brief and sudden halt, a few important themes are forgotten in it’s conclusion, which very neatly ties up most aspects of the story.

I was really enjoying this timely Asian-American novel about all kinds of immigrants, all kinds of mothers. But then a truly bizarre third-act twist left me kind of disappointed. A very important read, however, which will appeal to fans of The Leavers.

Vanessa Hua's first novel is wonderful. I enjoyed this novel about Scarlett Chen, a Chinese woman factory manager who is impregnated by her rich lover boss. He sends her away to Perfume Bay, a place in America where Chinese women are housed and where they can deliver their babies. The goal ofcourse is to have a baby with automatic American citizenship. Scarlett is really a very interesting complex character and I admire her pluck. There are many themes that bring this novel together such as mother-daughter relationships, motherhood, Chinese culture, community and struggles of being an immigrant. It is a thought provoking novel that presents the hot button topic of illegal immigration. I think this would be a great book to discuss for a book club.