This book tackles a lot - everything from birthing a girl versus a boy culture in China, to adoption practices, to abuse, to discrimination, to marriage, to working women…and then some. There’s a simmering plot that you know right away will boil over. I appreciated the idea of the plot but the actual finished product fell flat for me - too much going on with some writing descriptive choices that made my eyes roll.

Fast-paced, intense, emotional 🖤read that will make you think twice about judging others. I was a bit exhausted but happy when I finished!

Rebecca and Jasmine seem vastly different from each other - but it turns out they share something very important. Rebecca is an affluent white editor in NYC; Jasmine is a poor Chinese wife who has talents and gifts she must keep hidden. I went in not reading all the buzz and I am so happy that I got to make the discoveries as a reader!! Couldn’t put it down!!

Dark, broody, taut domestic suspense. The Leftover Woman had me at the edge of my seat, heart-pounding, as I navigated my way through this jasmine’s and Rebecca’s stories. There are mysteries and conflicts, fear and tension, but at its heart it is the story of a mother’s love for her daughter.

I read and liked both GIrl in Translation and Mambo in China Town so was looking forward to Kwok's latest novel.

Billed as "an evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women..."

"Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth--another female casualty of China's controversial One Child Policy."

"...publishing executive Rebecca Whitney ... a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores." A ..."Chinese nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca's job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question."

The narrative rotates between Jasmine and Rebecca and both have multiple story lines.

Jasmine's life in New York where's she's at the mercy of the snakeheads [with a backstory as to what it was in China]. And surprise [?]-- she meets up with her childhood friend/love, Anthony.

Rebecca,: her legacy, her mother, her upbringing, her marriage, her career problems. The similarities to the James Frey/deceptive author story. And I learned more about the publishing/auction process.

There were a number of twists [though I did figure out other trajectories].

At the outset, I was engaged. At the beginning, a description of a "woman with a blunt-cut pyramid of hair" had me thinking--Yes! But as the novel progressed, I knew I'd like it less and less. Confession--I sensed early on that some of the prose would derail me. There were too many oy moments--like nails on a chalkboard.

To wit:
"The shape of him rises up to meet her, like echoes from a vast lake..."
"he tastes like desire"
"the heat of him sinking into me"
"plunder my lips"--that did me in!

And there were a few times I just wondered--e.g., how did Jasmine's wedding ring get reported stolen in a pawnbroker in the US? It stretched my belief.

In the distinct minority of readers.

2.5, cannot round up.

Jasmine is a Chinese immigrant who recently fled from her abusive husband, Wen. She is in search of her daughter, who Wen placed for adoption without Jasmine’s knowledge due to China’s one child policy. Jasmine begins working as a waitress at a strip club to earn money to pay back the hefty debt owed to the gang that brought her to the US.

Rebecca is a wealthy white publisher, married to a well-educated man and adoptive mother to Fiona. She is coming off of a professional scandal and hoping to land a deal with a big author.

I just loved this book. While I did find Jasmine to be the more interesting character, I loved reading about how Rebecca managed her feelings towards Fiona’s close relationship with her nanny. This was a hard book to put down, I was so invested in what would happen next. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked - this was just such a lovely story. I think it would make a great movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Chinese woman flees from her abusive husband and travels to the US on find the daughter her husband secretly sold for adoption to an American couple. Trying to earn enough money to pay back the men who brought her illegally into the country, she works as a nanny during the day and as a cocktail waitress in a strip club at night. But the odds are stacked against her and it doesn't take long for cracks to appear in her plan. The book alternatives between her and the adoptive mother of her child who is having her own problems.

I appreciate the author brining to light the challenges and treatment of immigrants to the US. I with the characters had been brought to life and more multi-dimensional.

I love this author and this book was no exception!

Two very strong mothers who love their children unconditionally make wonderful characters.

Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jean Kwok skillfully pulls the reader into the very different challenges facing the two female narrators, Rebecca and Jasmine. I found both of their stories compelling but felt that the character of Jasmine was much more developed than Rebecca, who seemed to lack the complexity being defined largely by stereotypes of high achieving privileged women. The climactic final scene was well crafted and starkly presented the seemingly no-win situation facing the two mothers in this story. I appreciated that Kwok wove in themes related to race, culture, and the impossible task immigrants face when asked to both fit in and stay true to themselves. Overall, it was an entertaining read that held my attention and prompted me to think about important issues.

THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by Jean Kwok.
As an American woman, I’ve always been fascinated by the Chinese culture so I gravitate towards these authors and books. If you are a mother, this one will hit you in the feels. Jasmine is a married woman in China who gives birth to a daughter. With the one child rule, her husband takes the child away in the hopes of a son instead. Jasmine wants her daughter back and so she goes to America to find her. Rebecca is a wealthy woman living in NY who adopted Jasmine’s daughter Fiona. Rebecca is very career driven but also wants to be a good mom. So, she hires a Chinese nanny for Fiona. That’s where the story starts to unfold. How far would you go for your child? This was an eye opening book of how immigrants are treated in America and it broke my heart. This book was so engaging, I didn’t realize how much time had passed while reading until my family asked me what was for dinner. Kwok writes from the heart and from experience. I will not soon forget this book.

A compelling, complex novel about the choices mothers make. I found this book compulsively readable and could not put it down. Cleverly plotted with a blockbuster ending, suspenseful, with intriguing characters. I'm looking forward to promoting this one among my book club patrons at the library!

An incredibly beautiful and equally heartbreaking story that parallels both the fierce determination of a mother’s love and what it truly looks like to live in a racist America. This story brought me through so many emotions and shed so much light on a culture and racism in America that I had blinded myself from. I highly recommend and strongly encourage any and everyone to read this book. I will think about it for a long time.

The Leftover Woman tells the parallel stories of two women - Jasmine and Rebecca. Jasmine has arrived in New York in search of the daughter that was ruthlessly taken from her by her husband and sent to the US to be adopted. Rebecca is a New York socialite who has adopted and is raising a Chinese little girl.

In New York, Jasmine is on the run from her husband, and has paid "snakeheads" for her passage. Finding herself in debt to them, she must work as a cocktail waitress in a men's club. Also, while in NY, she runs into her first love, who left China years ago. Rebecca, on the other hand, is in publishing and spends most of her waking hours working. Her husband, Brandon, a Columbia professor of Asian languages, is also often tied up with work. For this reason, they employ Lucy, a Chinese nanny to help raise their daughter, Fiona.

As the book begins, it is fairly unremarkable, but as the story unfolds it is filled with twists and turns, some predictable and others not. The story is engaging and compelling, and moves quickly, highlighting the upheaval that comes with transracial adoption. It is also the story of motherhood, birth and otherwise, and the sacrifices that one must make to parent. Further, it is the story of the undocumented who do what they must to survive in a new country.
#netgalley

The Leftover Woman was an emotionally intriguing story that follows Jasmine, a young Chinese woman who flees China for the United States. She is looking to escape from her deceitful and controlling husband and in in search of her daughter that was underhandedly taken from Jasmine at birth.

In this story we also meet Rebecca, a wealthy publishing executive who is struggling with the balance of work, her husband and raising her adopted daughter Fiona.

Kwok excels in her storytelling; she weaves together a tale that is socially relevant while navigating a twisty plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this amazing book!

4.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for approving me for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an emotional and throughly intriguing story. The book, in short, is about Jasmine, a young Chinese woman, who flees her country to America in search for her daughter who was given up for adoption by her controlling husband, without her consent to an American couple in New York. The reason being that the couple is only allowed one child (set when the one-child policy in China was enforced) and her husband wants to ensure they can try again for a son to continue his family name/legacy. The story is told in dual POVs. We get Jasmine’s perspective and the perspective of Rebecca, the American woman who adopted Jasmine’s daughter.

This storyline makes room for commentary about adopting children outside of your race. The book has many moments where the social and internal issues of adopting outside your race are showcased, which I thought was well done.

Once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. Although, I wouldn’t classify the book as a thriller or mystery because some of the plot is pretty predictable and there’s not a lot of thrilling moments. I would say it’s a slow burn and more on the side of literary fiction with thriller elements, but it’s more of a character driven story.

If I had to critique anything, I would say some of the dialogue felt clunky and unnatural, mostly between Rebecca and her husband, but not to the point where it effected my reading experience in a negative way. I thought it was a solid read from this writer and emotionally impactful.

I've read this author's Searching for Sylvie Lee ; so, I was happy to get the chance to read this book. The Leftover Woman was a heart wrenching read about two women with a connection to a little girl. This reader was moved by the situation both of these women faced but was also frustrated by their actions. It's about betrayal, love, struggles, surviving, and second chances. I enjoyed this book . Thank you, NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC.

Wow!!! This book is absolutely amazing!!

Jasmine is a young Chinese woman who comes to America after discovering a secret that leaves her in shock.

Rebecca and Brandon are an affluent couple trying to raise their daughter and deal with busy and stressful lives.

The way the story intertwines these characters and their stories kept me engrossed and turning the pages as fast as I could read!!!

This is my first book by Jean Kwok but it will absolutely not be my last!!!

5 HUGE stars for this stunning novel!

This is my first Jean Kwok book and it’s sure to not be my last! I really enjoyed this look at two mother’s lives colliding over their love for their daughter.

Jasmine is married young in rural China. She discovers years into her marriage that her husband has given her first born daughter away to a family in New York. She heads there to find her lost daughter. Meanwhile Rebecca, a very wealthy and successful publisher, is dealing with her own career crisis in New York while she balances motherhood to her adopted daughter. Their lives intersect while Jasmine’s husband goes on the hunt for her and Rebecca must save her career from imminent implosion.
I finished this book a few days ago and am still thinking about it! It sure packs a punch in a tautly told 288 pages. The themes of motherhood were so well weaved throughout the story from both mothers perspectives. Rebecca as elite New Yorker who judges her nanny was especially rich (in description no pun intended) and I felt a lot of emotions towards her. Jasmine too was so compelling and I felt deeply for her plight to find her daughter and the depths she goes to in order to do so. Along the way Jasmine works in a strip club (as a waitress) and the contrast of that atmosphere to the uber wealth of Rebecca’s life was so impactful. There are some twists along the way as well as a very unexpected ending which took me by surprise. The intensity really ramps towards the end! Overall one I’ll be thinking about for a while and recommend to those who like immigrant stories, stories that dig deep into what it means to mother and enjoy tense and atmospheric novels.

Her baby was taken from her and she was told it was dead. The baby is sold by her husband to a rich American couple. The mother escapes her husband and goes to find her daughter.

The title of this book couldn’t fit the story any better. I knew I would like it after reading Searching for Sylvie Lee. The story is told from dual POVs. Jasmine and Rebecca are the mothers of little Fiona. Jasmine is the birth mother and Rebecca is the adoptive mother. Jasmine lives in China and with the one-child rule, she was forced to give her child away. Well-to-do Rebecca wants a child so her husband Brandon uses a connection he has and facilitates the adoption from China to the United States.

Jasmine can’t get over the fact that she had to give up her daughter so she goes on the hunt for her. Through the process she hits many hurdles; being in the US illegally, looking for work, running from an abusive husband and more. The Leftover Woman evokes all the feels. I felt so much empathy for both mothers in addition to the frustration in deciding who I thought Fiona should truly be with.

The topic of adoption is very touchy and Jean Kwok was able to bring forward a lot of the real life struggles and circumstances that surround it. She also brought the characters alive and put us right there with them until the very end. Beautiful writing and gripping story of love, marriage, friendship, difficult decision making, and the perilous fight a mother will take on for her child.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishers for the ARC of this book.

This was one of those books that really touched me, and I find myself periodically thinking about the storyline.

When you first start the story, you are dealing with Jasmine Yang, a Chinese immigrant living in NYC, trying to find her daughter who was adopted without her knowledge and hiding from her husband. She is having difficulty finding a job without the appropriate papers and we get a glimpse into how these types of individuals are taken advantage of and treated.

We also meet Rebecca Whitney, a woman who comes from wealth and is working as a publishing executive and struggling to balance her identify, family motherhood and her career. Rebecca finds herself continually conflicted about doing what is best for her career versus what is best for her family and daughter.

As the story progresses, the plot started to twist and turn, and I just couldn’t put it down wanting to know what happened next. Despite the differences between these two main characters, you can feel the pain and struggles they face. However, one thing is clear for both women, the love of their daughter is what ultimately drives them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#JeanKwok #WilliamMorrow #TheLeftoverWoman