Jean Kwok is one of the best contemporary fiction authors out there for a reason, and THE LEFTOVER WOMAN might just be her best work yet! I can't wait to read more from this author.

From plot twists to minor plot holes, thought-provoking situations to gut-wrecking emotional wreckage, Jean Kwok's "The Leftover Woman" is an intensely deep journey about motherhood, womanhood, China's One Child Law, adopt, and what a mother's love and determination means when a child is taken from her and when her whole world is crumbling around her. Jasmine and Rebecca are both such well-developed characters that I found myself tearing up as I read their stories. My heart went out to them both as I rode on each of their emotional rollercoaster rides. If you are looking for a story that will rip your heart out in the best ways possible, this one is for you. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC opportunity!

A young woman flees from China, hoping to leave behind painful secrets, and build a new life in the US. She starts figuring out that disappearing from one life as nd creating a new one is much harder than she anticipated.
This was overall pretty good, even though it went slightly off the rails toward the end.
Thanks to #netgalley and #williammorrow for this #arc of #theleftoverwoman by #jeankwok in exchange for an honest review.

I read this back in October 2023. Apologies for the late review.

I am a huge fan and supporter of Jean Kwok's work. Ever since I read "Searching for Silvie Lee," I try to read all of Kwok's works.

This one tugged at my heart strings as it starts with the red string of fate, and then a mother's desperation to find her daughter that was adopted out without her knowledge or permission. There were so many heartbreaking moments in this book, but I admired this woman's desire to do what she needed to do in order to be with her child. The sacrifices she made!

This story was very moving. Enjoy is not a word I would use to describe how I felt about this book afterward. I think "appreciated" is the correct word. With Jean Kwok, I am always learning about the struggles we API/AAPI women go through. We are all feeling it. We just don't know how to put those feelings down into words. Jean knows how. She's unraveling those emotions we have cooped up inside and explaining to us... this is not okay. That's why I love her work so much. I'm learning about myself through her stories.

was expecting this novel to be more of a thriller than it was. I did enjoy the storyline and the references to the one child policy in China. I liked the MC - and the fact that she does anything to see her daughter and get her back. This was my first reading of this author's work and I am now curious to read her other novels.

3.5 stars

I read Searching for Sylvie Lee back in 2019 and while I remember few details, I remember enjoying it! I was looking forward to the author’s latest.

While I liked this overall and really liked parts of it, this book is extremely mismarketed as a thriller. It’s barely a mystery - this is contemporary fiction about motherhood, race and class. There’s a “twist” this is not even remotely a twist at all, it’s so obvious from the very beginning. The cover is all wrong for what you’re getting and I fear that people will unfortunately be quite disappointed vs. expectations.

This book is told from two perspectives - one of the rich white adoptive mother and one of the poor Chinese birth mother. I enjoyed both stories a lot, especially the birth mother growing up in rural China and the focus on the one child policy. Some of the commentary got a bit heavy handed at times and I found the ending a bit clunky, but overall I liked it. It felt like a similar vain to Little Fires Everywhere and I think it would have been much more successful if it was edited and marketed as such.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Under China's One Child Policy - Jasmine was a girl born into a world that only wanted boys. Married to a controlling man at an early age, she wants out. She finds out a secret her husband has been keeping from her and plots her escape. Large sum paid and indebted to the Snakeheads, gets her to New York City.

Rebecca Whitney has life by the tail - successful publishing executive, a Professor husband, and an adorable daughter they adopted after finding out she could never carry to term. Their daughter is Chinese and at the insistence of her husband, they hire a Chinese nanny to care for her. This way, she can learn more about the language and the culture.

Jasmine and Rebecca's worlds collide in this thriller about life, love, family, and the desire to belong.

This book encompassed a story of motherhood, marriage, immigration, exploitation of women, and so much more. With a bit of romance, mystery, and a lot of intrigue - I really enjoyed this book.

Following the two different stories of two women who’s path collides in the most unexpected, yet tragic way kept me entertained until the last page.

The author’s writing was very well done, almost poetic at times. I also could see this has a movie or short series since it’s such a unique story and highlights the trials immigrant and poor women go through.

I had high hopes for The Leftover Woman since I loved Jean Kwok’s Searching for Sylvie Lee, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.

The story follows Jasmine Yang, who flees her controlling husband in rural China to New York City. She’s on a desperate mission to find her daughter, taken from her at birth. At the same time, we meet Rebecca Whitney, a high-powered publishing executive with an adopted Chinese daughter, Fiona.

Jasmine’s character had depth, and her struggles felt real. Her journey from a small village to NYC, working as a nanny by day and a cocktail waitress by night, was enthralling. However, some of her decisions were frustrating.

Rebecca’s side of the story was less engaging. While her challenges at work and at home added some suspense, the plot twists felt predictable and too convenient. The book’s themes of identity, motherhood, and belonging were poignant but not well executed.

The narrative alternates between Jasmine and Rebecca, which kept the story moving but also made it confusing. The timelines and plot points sometimes felt jumbled, detracting from the overall impact. While intense, the ending was too neatly tied up.

One thing that stood out was the audiobook performance, which was excellent. However, the writing in the eBook version didn’t quite match up. At least it was a quick read at 288 pages. 3 stars.

** I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

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I have been fascinated (in a weird way) by China's One Child Policy, and have wanted to read a novel that tackles it from both angles- the parents giving up their child for adoption, and the parents adopting that child.
Behold- Jean Kwok's The Leftover Woman.
The book is written from the female parent's perspectives, Jasmine and Rebecca, and the reader sees how their lives have been changed by the adoption of Jasmine's daughter by Rebecca.
What follows is a shocking, tense and poignant story that will stay with the reader long after the last page.

While it seemed a little overwritten (literary) at times, this was an engaging story. I saw one “reveal” coming from a mile away, but another was harder to see. Some say there are plotholes, but I direct feel they took away fun the storytelling.

Wonderful characterization! Really loved the two central characters and the ways they were similar despite being so different in so many ways. Dramatic emotional ending. Really enjoyed it!!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Surprisingly, The Leftover Woman took me a while to read for a short book, but worth it. Jean Kwok explores a wide range of topics, including complex family dynamics, the challenges of motherhood, and struggles with identity. Although I don't want to give away too much of the plot, I found the story gripping and thought-provoking, albeit sad. Despite guessing the twist, the journey was still engaging. Overall, this book would spark great discussions in a book club.

Another masterpiece by Jean Kwok with strong well developed characters. The story is of a Chinese woman Jasmine who has come to American and wants to find the daughter who was removed from her at birth. As with all of Jean Kwok's other titles this gives piece of history into the Chinese One Child Policy. A memorable read but at times not an easy read.
A beautifully rich novel which will one again take Kwok to the top of the best sellers list.

A dark and mysterious family drama told from the perspective of two women that interrogates themes of motherhood, transracial adoption, racism, romance, and both individual and systemic violence.

Told from the perspective of two women: this book's power is its juxtaposition of womanhood, motherhood, and marriage in the U.S. and China.

Jasmine arrives in the U.S. penniless and indebted to Chinese gangsters who helped arrange her passage, known as snake heads. As she tries to survive in the U.S., she is forced into a dark underground scene due to her lack of immigration papers. Meanwhile, Rebecca is a high powered editor in NYC, navigating a recent scandal related to an author memoir and raising an adopted Chinese daughter with her polyglot husband. Everything seems perfect, until you look under the surface.

I found the Easter egg of Rebecca trying to edit a book that is essentially this story a fascinating tidbit. Especially because she was too close to the subject matter to reflect on her own connections.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the e-ARC; all thoughts my own.

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok. Pub Date: October 10, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. In this stunning novel, the reader is taken on a young woman's journey of discovery and motherhood as well as explores complex relationships and China traditions/policies. Jasmine is a female who travels to NYC from China after fleeing her abusive husband in search of her long lost child who was taken from her at birth due to China's One Child Policy. Her journey is complex, trying and hard to stomach at times because it is unfathomable that she would have her child taken from her immediately following birth. On the other side of this story is Rebecca, a publishing executive who is mother to an adopted Chinese daughter. She has her own issues in her professional life that ultimately creep into her personal life and these two women are met head on. I found the mystery of this story intriguing and the perseverance of Jasmine to find her child to be endearing and courageous. I thought this novel was really well done and highlighted a topic that is not presented in modern literature very often. Thanks to #netgalley and #williammorrow for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book after hearing so many positive reviews. It definitely lived up to the hype. I had a hard time putting this book down.

Jasmine leaves her husband in China, arriving in NYC with no family, money, or support. She’s here for a specific reason: to find and take back her daughter, and will stop at nothing to accomplish this. Doing so requires her to take risks, as she needs money and does not have proper immigration paperwork. ⁣
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Rebecca is a successful publishing executive, who seems to have it all, with a nice life, dedicated husband, and adorable adopted daughter. There is a scandal that threatens Rebecca’s well-crafted life and while she attempts to reign it in, she’s also combatting doubts about her husband, motherhood, and more. ⁣
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I felt for Jasmine and for Rebecca, both in difficult circumstances they didn’t knowingly choose. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed that each woman was voiced by a different narrator, both of whom did a good job. It helped bring the story to life. The Leftover Woman offers a lot to think about and includes themes of family, motherhood, and identity.