This was excellent. I read it in a day, totally engrossed. Expert plotting had me flipping pages, unable to guess what was coming. Perfect for the bookstore customers who come in looking for a fast, smart read, great for a plane ride or a rainy weekend when you just want to easily lose yourself in a book.

The Leftover Woman is a complex novel that while focusing on the removal of a baby from her mother in China, the baby's subsequent adoption by a wealthy American couple, and the consequences when the birth mother realizes that her baby did not die at birth, as she had been told by the baby's father, is a masterful exploration of love. What kinds of love are there, how are they manifested, how is love betrayed and what happens when it is are just some of the questions Kwok explores in her new novel. Perhaps the biggest question is: who is the leftover woman? Is it Jasmine, Rebecca, or Fiona? Readers will be absorbed by this and other issues. Highly recommended.

The Leftover Woman is a suspenseful and emotionally layered character driven drama. It follows two very different women connected through motherhood. Jasmine, a Chinese Immigrant escapes from her controlling husband in search of the baby he gave away against her will. She works in a strip club to pay her debts owed to the snakeheads who made her immigration possible. Rebecca is a privileged publishing executive who is struggling to balance her job, her marriage, and mothering her adopted daughter Fiona. Kwok weaves these two stories together seamlessly; I enjoyed both Jasmine’s and Rebecca’s chapters. I loved the measured pacing, it really built up the high emotional stakes for each character. I am not a person who cries while reading, but the ending of this book had me tearing up. I would absolutely recommend if you enjoy multi-timeline mysteries with a touch of historical fiction that break your heart a little.

Thank you, William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Kwok takes on transracial adoption, the one child policy of China of the early 2000s, privilege, discrimination and looks behind the curtain of publishing in her latest novel The Leftover Woman.

Told in dual POVs of two mothers from two very different backgrounds and their desire to have the best outcome for their child. Jasmine is living in a small village in China when she discovers that the daughter she birthed has been illegally adopted by an American family after her husband had told her that her child died shortly after birth. Rebecca, an editor in chief at a publishing house in New York, and her husband Brandon adopted an orphaned child from China when attempts to have their own child were unsuccessful. Rebecca and Brandon have hired a Chinese speaking nanny to ensure their child holds onto her roots and Brandon is a professor whose specializes in Asian studies and speaks Chinese after having grown up there but never fitting in completely because of his whiteness. Now Jasmine is trying to pay back the snakeheads who brought her to the states illegally and plans to escape with her daughter into a new life.

This was my third book by this author and I quite enjoyed it but wasn’t surprised by any of the plot twists. While it was quite predictable at times, I did find myself interested in the examination of what is best for a child adopted outside of their culture.

The author’s writing is smooth and the story was propulsive. The Leftover Woman has an action packed ending worthy of being on screen.

Thank you to @harpercollinsca for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. the Leftover Woman publishes October 10, 2023.

The Leftover Woman
By Jean Kwok

This is what I would call a suspense story. It is the story of a young Chinese girl named Jasmine, who, because of cultural mores, is not allowed to marry her first love, Anthony, but is "auctioned off" to Wen, a somewhat older man. With Wen, after several miscarriages, she has a daughter who died at birth – or so her husband tells her.

It is also the story of a well to do American couple named Rebecca and Brandon who met in China and subsequently married back in the States. Much to their dismay, Rebecca is found to be infertile. But Brandon's Chinese "friend", Wen, facilitates their adoption of a Chinese baby girl, who is, of course Jasmine's daughter. When Jasmine discovers this subterfuge, she decides to flee Wen and try to rescue her daughter.

Jasmine's trials and tribulations drive the story, as do the ups and downs Rebecca and Brandon are experiencing both professionally and in their previously rock solid marriage.

I have to say that the culmination of all this drama is somewhat predictable. But the author includes several glimpses of the cultural differences: ex., white flowers are bad luck; how you use chopsticks can indicate rudeness and others. Pointing out these differences made this a worthwhile read for me.

“I was a leftover woman, I realized. After everyone else had carved away what they wanted to see in me and taken what they desired, I was all that was left.”

Jasmine has escaped from an abusive relationship and her rural Chinese village for New York City and the hope of reuniting with her daughter who was taken from her at birth. Rebecca seems to have it all – a devoted husband, a successful publishing career and an adopted Chinese daughter, but demands at her job are threatening to crumble all that she has built.

Taking readers from lavish parties in iconic locations to a strip club in one of NYC’s less desirable neighborhoods, Jean Kwok sets the women on a collision course that forces them to do surprising things to keep all that they hold dear.

Emotional, raw and heartbreaking, this absorbing read touches on some heavy topics, including racism, immigration, international adoption, motherhood and China’s one child rule. While this was my first novel by the author, it will certainly not be my last.

Thank you to Jean Kwok, William Morrow and NetGalley for an advance e-book for an honest review.

The Leftover Woman follows an undocumented Chinese immigrant, Jasmine who needs to pay back a huge debt to the people that helped her enter America, while also hiding from an abusive husband she ran from. Rebecca works in publishing as an editor, she and her husband Brandon adopted a young girl from China and are raising her in New York. Coming from vastly different backgrounds their stories parallel to each other, both women are haunted by men of their past.

I was invested in Jasmine’s story from the start, it was emotional and heartbreaking. On the other hand, Rebecca had many imposter feelings that stemmed from her infertility. This story has many messages and themes relating to motherhood, immigration and adoption, especially relating to Chinese issues. I thought it was written very well and to the point, it kept me interested in the outcome. The ending felt a little rushed but overall a great finale to reflect on the various themes.

4⭐️

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC to review.

Jean Kwok's THE LEFTOVER WOMAN is a mesmerizing tapestry of race, economic disparities, and identity. By using alternating viewpoints of two protagonists from starkly different backgrounds, Kwok elevates the narrative's depth, offering readers a comprehensive glimpse into the contrasting worlds they inhabit. The palpable mystery at the story's core ensures readers remain captivated, eager to piece together the intertwining fates of the characters.

Beyond its gripping storyline, the novel poignantly touches upon the weight of societal expectations, particularly on women. Kwok brilliantly underscores that irrespective of our diverse backgrounds, the innate human yearning for love, acceptance, and understanding binds us together.

This work showcases Kwok's unmatched ability to blend compelling narrative with insightful commentary. THE LEFTOVER WOMAN is not merely a story but an exploration of human resilience and connections. It's a testament to the author's evolution and is undeniably one of her best offerings yet.

An absorbing story whose characters are so intertwined that I never saw it coming. Expertly written and emotional. The story touches on many topics: immigration, racism, international adoption, China’s one child rule, working mothers to name a few. This book was a pleasure to read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"The Leftover Woman" by Jean Kwok
was an emotional drama that was beautifully written & heartbreaking.
Ms. Kwok did a great job of storytelling that immediately captured & held my attention.
I also have another book by this author, "Searching For Sylvie Lee" that I am excited to read.

This was excellent. I tore through it in less than 48 hours and Jean Kwok is officially a must read author for me. Highly recommended.

I have read Kwok's works in the past and have enjoyed them, but this new book is a definite standout. The premise is smart as she tells the stories of Jasmine and Rebecca, one woman who was tricked into giving up her daughter for adoption and the other who became the adoptive mother. As Jasmine navigates the difficult task of making a living in a foreign country while also searching for her daughter, Rebecca lives her life not knowing the truth of how her daughter came to be hers.

The writing is evocative and sophisticated, and the pacing is executed expertly. The perspectives alternate, and each story is as interesting and dynamic as the other. I waited with bated breath for the two women to meet and for their lives to collide in a dramatic fashion. The buildup of the story was done remarkably well, but the ending seemed a little too neat and tidy, in my opinion.

This is a wonderful example of great storytelling that immediately captured and held my attention!

At its heart are two main characters:

Jasmine, living in China, was only 14 y/o when she was sold to a much older man. She was abused and suffered miscarriages and finally a pregnancy. After delivering the baby girl she is told that the baby was stillborn. YEARS LATER SHE KNOWS DIFFERENTLY!!

She was desperate to get out of China and paid “snakeheads” a lot of money to get to the US. Without legal papers she doesn’t have many options for making money. She settles on work in an underground strip club where her Chinese accent isn’t a problem.

Her main focus is to find the daughter that she now knows was also sold!!

Rebecca Whitney is a hard working and successful publishing editor. She has so much going on that she hires a Chinese nanny to help care for her young adopted daughter, Fifi. She and her husband hope that Lucy will help Fifi learn Chinese and other things about her heritage.

Rebecca is juggling motherhood, her job and other obligations. She is also hiding a secret which could impact her life and her career!

Rebecca’s husband, Brandon, is a professor at Columbia University and their marriage is very much centered around their daughter!

How will these two women meet and what will be the outcome?

The blurb already tells a lot so I will leave you to discover all of the plot twists and secrets.

The premise is unique as it touches upon China’s “one child policy” which was introduced in 1979. Many women were subjected to forced sterilization and abortion.as well as penalties for those found to have violated the policy, etc” .

The themes include motherhood, race, female empowerment, ambition, displacement, adoption and immigration!

I can highly recommend this novel, it will keep you turning the pages. Keep the tissues handy!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

This was such a raw and emotional read!
Atmospheric, filled with a feel of real people and real lives. I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone who has ever mentioned that they are interested in Chinese culture and books depicting anything China-related.
I had never read anything by this author before, but this book has a very strong Lisa See vibe - I’m sorry to be comparing two absolutely different authors here! I love Lisa See’s writing and this comes as a compliment here. This book definitely now has me interested in reading more from Jean Kwok and I have already picked the next book written by her that I will be reading later this year.

An emotional drama that is both beautifully written and incredibly heartbreaking. Such a stark difference between wealth and culture, the clashes between the two were substantial. While I typically lean towards thrillers, this book drew me in quite fast as a thriller typically would. A quick read, but be prepared for ALL the emotions!

thank you NetGalley for this arc, all opinions are my own

This was a quick and absorbing read that dove into some heavy topics--immigration, racism, international adoption. It felt a bit superficial and simplistic at times (I wish it spent a bit more time on some of those issues), but it was engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

Jasmine has escaped her rural Chinese village and abusive husband to search New York City for her daughter who was taken from her. Rebecca seems to have it all, including her adopted Chinese daughter but demands from her job and marriage are interfering.

There is so much to this story it’s hard to believe it’s under 300 pages. I was hooked from the very beginning. The two women were so different, but motherhood connected them. This was a story about what we will do for family but it’s also a tale of immigration, adoption, and the trauma of China’s one child policy. This is a sentimental story that will leave you with tears, but also has exciting moments as well.

“I would never again be led blindly into the darkness. If I had to walk, I would choose my own path with my eyes wide open.”

The Leftover Woman comes out 10/10.

Thoughtful and atmosphere, this was a really interesting read and one I can see with a bright future for book clubs! There's nothing super groundbreaking here but it's a solid read and I liked it.

Two women, both in New York City, will collide over the same daughter. Jasmine, on the run from her abusive husband in China, is hiding out in NYC and trying to find the daughter that was taken from her shortly after birth. Rebecca, a publisher, wife, and mother, has her own secrets and is trying to live a successful life for her adopted daughter. When both lives collide and the women are threatened, they will each do surprising things to keep their secrets at bay and their family intact.

I loved this book! I would give it 4.75 stars, and I don’t have a great answer for why it’s not 5. I was invested in all the characters, and I love that it wasn’t just one plot line driving this story. There was suspense, romance, marriage drama, mystery, and an overarching love for the young girl at the center of it all.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC of this wonderful book!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.