3.7 Stars
One Liner: Steady paced and well done

Jasmine runs away from rural China to New York with the help of snakeheads. She doesn’t have the necessary papers but needs to find a job desperately to pay the money loaned for her move. Jasmine hopes for a fresh start away from her controlling husband. She is in the city to find and reunite with her daughter, the one her husband gave away for adoption due to the One Child Policy.
Rebecca has it all – a flourishing career as an editor-in-chief of a reputed publishing house, a handsome and successful husband, and an adopted daughter. There’s enough money for luxurious living and designer labels. However, a scandal put Rebecca’s career in jeopardy, and she finds herself on the outer boundary in more ways than one. Soon, Rebecca realizes she needs to make some tough decisions if she wants her career and family.
What brings Jasmine and Rebecca face-to-face? What will happen when things go beyond their control?
The story comes in Jasmine's first-person POV and Rebecca's third-person POV. It is divided into four parts (not sure why).

My Thoughts:
I’m not sure why this is tagged a mystery/ thriller on NetGalley. While it does have a ‘mystery’, 99% of it is evident and too easy to guess. The book works better as women’s fiction or drama. Luckily, I saw the tag on NG after reading it, so it didn’t affect my experience.
It’s a short book and a quick read. Not everything is explored in detail. However, this works for me since I’d rather have character arcs do the talking than be hit on the head with the message. Jasmine and Rebecca are the main characters and they indeed carry the book well.
The book deals with themes like motherhood, immigration, love, family, acceptance, relationships, career, choices or the lack of them, casual racism, privilege, Asian fetish, etc. Even though there’s a lot of tell due to Jasmine’s first-person POV, it doesn’t get overboard anywhere.
We see the ground-level impact of China’s One Child Policy, and there’s no sugarcoating here (neither is much drama). I remember our social teacher in school creating a discussion around it and how a similar policy in India (Two Child Policy) would work in reality.
We also get a glimpse into the world of publishing, where appearances and persona matter more than maybe even talent. While I am a bit doubtful about a few things (after all, there are enough books in the market that shouldn’t have even been published), I do know that the stakes are high.
I’m not sure about Anthony’s track, but I’m not the one to say no to a bit of happiness for my characters. I just wish the ending didn’t take such a big leap, like our daily soaps, and tie up the loose ends. A few more pages would have helped.
I like Rebecca’s characterization. She represents millions of people in the thought process (even if they don’t have the same financial privilege). Be it white saviorism or inherent racism, it’s a part of society and manifests itself in different ways.
The bits about the differences in cultural aspects are well done, whether it is the significance of white flowers or the use of chopsticks. I could connect a lot with this since Indians, too, have to deal with similar apathy and appropriation in the West. There have been countless incidents of sellers printing our Gods on doormats, footwear, underwear, etc. Pubs have our gods painted in their bathrooms! 1-2 years ago, we had to write to a fashion brand about why they should not print our gods on their bikini collection. A quick internet search would tell them (that’s where they get the images, too), but nope, they still go ahead. The reason is quite simple – they don’t give a damn. I don’t even want to start talking about what the billion-dollar white yoga industry does.
The climax is predictable. I see some readers being surprised by Jasmine’s decision, but that’s the only way it would have gone (or maybe I saw too many movies to guess it right). I have a few doubts about certain plot developments (they seem less likely), but I’ll let it be since the overall presentation delivers.

To summarize, The Leftover Woman is a steady-paced and balanced read dealing with a multitude of themes. It’s not an easy read, but a worthy one. There are a few triggers, though nothing too graphic.
Thank you, NetGalley and William Marrow, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

TW: Mentions of domestic abuse, mention of miscarriage, hints of probable infidelity, mentions of abuse.

The Leftover Woman is equal parts mystery novel and family drama and follows two women as they navigate their relationship to motherhood. Told from two perspectives, The Leftover Woman alternates between Jasmine, a woman newly arrived to NYC and Rebecca, the publishing executive who has what Jasmine most desires.

This story has big Little Fires Everywhere vibes and deals with subjects around identity and motherhood that I think almost everyone would be able to connect with. I really loved how Jean Kwok didn’t shy away from some of the uncomfortable aspects to this story, and really forced the reader to evaluate how they would act in the situations that unfolded on the page.

Where the story lost me was in the execution of these ideas. While I’m a fan of dual POVs in mystery novels, the POVs in The Leftover Woman felt like portions of two vastly different novels, with one of them feeling much deeper than the other. They come together nicely in the end, but getting there was not my favorite part of the reading experience. This novel is also getting the TV show treatment, and I think the dual perspectives of this story will work great on screen!

The Leftover Woman is out now. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5
The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok is a story about two strong women, one an illegal Chinese refugee and the other a wealthy publishing executive in New York. Both are hiding secrets that will eventually be revealed

I have enjoyed all of Jean Kwok’s books and was highly anticipating this one especially after the author said that this is the novel of her heart. Both storylines of Jasmine and of Rebecca were engaging and kept the me invested. That is a feat in itself, as there is usually one character or timeline that I prefer. I knew from the blurb that these two women’s storylines would converge and was unable to foresee the twist that came midway through the book.

The concept of the one child rule in China upset me as mothers were led to believe her child died if it was a girl. Generations of families wanted boys, so they secretly had their girls adopted out. Once Jasmine learned her daughter’s true fate, she took mama bear risks to try and find her daughter.

Rebecca’s secrets were more scandalous and affected her reputation and career. Once she learned the secrets her husband had been holding back, she grew stronger and realized that perfection is just an illusion.

The pacing, rich characterization and good storytelling made this an excellent read. I’m certain this will make a fantastic book club discussion as there is lots of juicy bits to chew on.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s told from a dual POV and broken into four parts. The story follows two very different women. Rebecca is successful, has the perfect family and is an editor in chief, Jasmine, has had a difficult past and flees her village to NYC in hopes of starting over. I enjoyed reading about the backstories of both women as secrets and twists slowly unfold. Kong is an amazing storyteller and I was so invested I couldn’t put this one down. It’s a gut wrenching book with themes of motherhood, race, sacrifice,
and identity. This was so well done and I loved the ending!!

I requested The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok because I previously read (and loved) Searching for Sylvie Lee, and I was excited for the author's next book. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. The characters seemed one dimensional, and despite the challenges both women faced, I had a hard time liking them or cheering for them. The men were even worse. I'm sure some of my dislike/inability to connect with this book was the high amount of abuse, violence, and pain in Jasmine's story. This is just hard for me to read personally. I was interested to read about the effects of the one child policy but just had a hard time with this book. Perhaps it is better suited for another reader. I will try the author again in the future though!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Hit me right in the feels! Brought this well-written and marvellous novel to an in-person book club and I can't wait for everyone else to check it out.

I haven't read a lot of books about China's one-child policy so this one was certainly illuminating. It was also a captivating read filled with suspense, tension and so much heart. I love how the author explored themes such as racism, immigration, womenhood and motherhood through the lens of Jasmine and Rebecca. We even get a insightful glimpse into the cut-throat world of publishing.

Overall, The Leftover Woman is a fast-paced and highly enjoyable novel that will have you firmly rooting for its main characters. I was SHOOK at one point because I did not see it coming at all. Well-played, Jean Kwok, well-played.

Felt that this story was hard to follow. There were jumps in timeline and characters. Definitely not as good as her first but good storytelling. The end wrapped up too quickly with a lot left for the last few chapters

Oh, this was one I could simply NOT put down.

It is the story of two women whose lives unknowingly intertwine in the deepest of ways, and are told through each of their perspectives. I thought I knew where it was going, but there were some reveals that had me gasping. I stayed up way too late to finish this, but zero regrets.

Jasmine recently fled to the United States, away from the small village in China where she spent her whole life and her abusive husband. She knows no one there, very little English, and is doing her best to survive.

Rebecca is a publishing executive who appears to have it all, but whose life is slowly starting to spiral around her: her career, her marriage, and her relationship with her daughter.

Both Rebecca and Jasmine's stories would be fascinating enough on their own, but how they weave and eventually come together tels quite the story. Layered in is an incredible social commentary as well - something that I deeply appreciate in my books.

Big thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read and review. The Leftover Woman came out earlier this month, and is not to be missed!

Will post this on my goodreads, retail sites, and my bookstagram @scottonreads

This is my first book by Jean Kwok and now I want to read her earlier novels. Her writing is so elegant and assured. I'm instantly sucked in to the worlds of Jasmine and Rebecca, two women who couldn't be more opposite. I love the first person POV for Jasmine and the 3rd person of Rebecca. It's very effective as Rebecca comes across as aloof yet still sympathetic. Jasmine is a little more difficult to sympathize with yet being in her head makes the reader understand her choices. This has everything: mystery, heart, thrills, and humor.

What would you do for your child? How far would you go?

This tale is a family drama with a few twists. It is centered on two women in New York. The women are very different, both culturally and economically.

Jasmine has recently arrived from China, and she has to earn money in a hurry. It is difficult for her to find work when she doesn’t have all the right paperwork.

The other woman, Rebecca, is a wealthy woman working in publishing. She’s married to a handsome Columbia language professor. They have an adopted Chinese daughter, Fiona.

As Jasmine struggles to find her way in a new country, she runs into someone who was once very close to her back in China. Will the two of them be able to create a new relationship?

Rebecca has just gotten through a dicey scandal in her job and is trying to get a new writer on board with her publishing firm. The fallout from the scandal may prove too much to overcome.

The twist was good; overall, I found this book well-written. There are so many facets to explore in terms of culture, a woman's value, and motherhood's strong power.

As the stories of the two women come together, I found myself sympathetic to both of them in different ways.

I really love how Jean Kwok unfolds a story. Her latest. Leftover Woman, is fundamentally about two imperfect mothers wanting to do right by their daughter. Kwok interleaves the stories of these two women: Rebecca, a successful editor in the NYC publishing world and Jasmine, who has run away from China and becomes a nanny before getting mixed up in NYC’s dark underbelly.
Sometimes I couldn’t understand how they were reacting to events, but I knew that I was in a gifted writer’s hands, which became obvious with how Kwok handles the ending and the epilogue.
I highly recommend this mystery/drama.
Thanks to #WilliamMorrow for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“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.”
The book centers around two different women, Jasmine and Rebecca. Jasmine is a poor Chinese immigrant in NYC, struggling to survive and reunite with the daughter she recently discovered is still alive. Rebecca is a wealthy book editor, working at her late father’s publishing company, fighting for the rights to a new novel about the female immigrant experience. If you love a publishing storyline, this one gets quite meta. The idea of a leftover woman is a Chinese concept, but it’s interesting to think how it can be applied to both women. Identity, motherhood, and family are all explored as the two women interact.
Thank you to William Morrow for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This emotional family drama, with a few twists I did not see coming, kept me entranced through its tightly-woven plot. The writing is beautiful and hard to put down, even though I wanted to take my time with the story.

4.5 ⭐️! This was another great, thought provoking read with so many complex characters and story lines. Motherhood, womanhood, the immigrant experience in America — all of it and more is explored in this fast paced drama (I’m calling it a drama and not a thriller because I wasn’t really scared! Yes, there was a bad guy… maybe several bad guys… but the whodunnit/crime/murder aspect wasn’t there).

The book is less than 300 pages and fast paced enough to easily read in one sitting. The characters were all well developed, with secrets and motivations that were well explored and advanced the story. It was exciting, and I was actually racing through the end. Great quick one for readers that want a book with family drama, organized crime and a badass FMC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a digital arc in exchange for my honest review! 💫

3.5 - The Leftover Woman follows two main characters in New York City as their worlds collide.. First is Jasmine who has fled her difficult marriage in rural China in order to search for the daughter that was taken from her. Secondly, Rebecca who seems to have it all with a career she loves, a handsome husband, an adopted Chinese daughter.

I think there is a meaningful conversation here about transracial adoption (one that isn't discussed enough), but there's honestly a lot going on in The Leftover Woman. Jean Kwok manages to pack a lot into this. It sometimes read as a historical fiction, sometimes as a domestic drama, a few thriller elements. The tone was mostly hist. fiction for me - so the thriller elements were almost jarring. I think it will work for a ton of readers, but maybe just not my taste.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for a digital copy to review. All opinions are my own.

This riveting book was impossible to put down. I was sad, I was hopeful, I was angry, and I was surprised. This is an engaging multicultural story that makes you think. Told from the perspectives of Jasmine, a young Chinese woman who is illegally living in the US, and Rebecca, a well off American publishing executive. No spoilers, so I won't tell you the relationship between the women, Both women are struggling with a variety of issues and I cheered for both of them to step up and take control of their lives. This book does not disappoint, and it will stay with you long after you put it down.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

From the time she was a child Jasmine has known she was leftover. Born in a small village in China during the years of its restrictive One Child Policy she wouldn’t even be alive if her twin sibling hadn’t been a boy. Marriage could have been her way out, but instead, in Jean Kwok’s new novel, A Leftover Woman, her husband makes it clear that her only value is in providing him with a son. Years later, on the other side of the world, another woman living in luxury in Manhattan unknowingly holds the key to Jasmine’s happiness, even as her own life starts crumbling around her.

A burden to her parents, Jasmine’s worth only became apparent when she started to mature. Even then, they believed it to be fleeting and so married her off to a government official when she was only 14. There was love in the beginning, but after their first child is a girl who dies at birth her husband loses interest in her and spends more time in Beijing with other women. In her loneliness she snoops on his computer and discovers her daughter didn’t die, but was given away by her husband to a wealthy American couple. When A Leftover Woman opens Jasmine is in New York City, desperate to find her daughter and to pay back the smugglers who got her into the country.

Rebecca lives in a world beyond Jasmine’s imagining. The beloved daughter of a well-known publisher, she’s now one of the top editors at the company her father founded. She’s happily married and after years of struggling to have a baby, they have Fiona, the beautiful daughter they adopted as an infant from China. But a crucial misstep has threatened her career, putting her under intense pressure and scrutiny, so she’s had to leave more of the parenting to her husband and their new nanny, Lucy.

As The Leftover Woman progresses the plot twists and coincidences pile up in a way that detracted from the crux of the story. I’m noticing a need in many authors lately to layer on ever more ‘surprises’ in their plots and for some it’s necessary because their writing doesn’t hold up. There has to be more action or the story stalls. This isn’t true with Kwok (and never has been) so I’m more sensitive to it than I would be from another writer.

Kwok doesn’t need more in her novels. Her ability to portray the emotions and motivations that lie at the heart of her characters is more than enough. In this case, it’s the two sides of the coin that is being a woman in the modern world. She parses the differences in the two women without negating either of their experiences. Yes, physically Jasmine is at much greater physical risk than Rebecca, but Rebecca is so tied to her persona and learned behavior as to how she should act that it inhibits her ability to live fully. Both have much to lose in their own way, and this, the push and pull from so many forces, not the big reveals, is what makes The Leftover Woman compelling reading.

This ripped my heart out. I had to stop reading several times because I was getting so upset.
The author took me on a journey of a desperate Asian women who was forced to do unimaginable things. It was a good mystery-suspense that had me holding my breath. I felt sad and vexed by her unfair circumstances. Could I be as strong as her?
The writing made me care and I loved the ending. 5⭐️
Thanks William Marrow via NetGalley.

THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by Jean Kwok received a starred review from Booklist ("highly recommended") and was chosen as a LibraryReads selection for October. Another stunning text from an award-winning author, this novel portrays two women who grapple with gender expectations across different cultures. One, Jasmine Yang, is a poor immigrant from China who has come to the US to find her daughter, adopted by an infertile white couple. That wife, Rebecca Whitney, is an editor seeking to prove herself in an industry where her father was well-known and respected. Both need to better define themselves in their roles as wife, mother, artist, worker. In fact, Jasmine contemplates her situation, saying, "Back home, so much of my identity was mirrored through other people's eyes. The village I came from, the school I went to, my family name, those all had meaning in China. Here they stood for nothing -- all those details disappeared when you were an immigrant and suddenly all that was left of you was whatever you carried inside." Rebecca speaks to an author she is cultivating about "the price of ambition, displacement, and adoption. ... themes of motherhood, identity, romantic love, and race..." – all of which are reflected in Kwok's excellent prose, too. THE LEFTOVER WOMAN is a suspenseful read and the pace moves along as these two women make poor choices and must learn to find the inner strength to deal with the consequences.

I love it when a book ends up surprising me. In a GOOD way of course! I love a good family drama and this was definitely that, There was no shortage of themes in this book. Adoption, identity, love, race, ambition among MANY others. THE LEFTOVER WOMAN focuses on the stories of two whose paths will (and have to) cross.

Jasmine is Chinese and abandoned at a young age and sold. She's then abused, and forced to endure many losses. She soon finds her way out of the country, leaving everything behind in search of... More, More love and more life and also herself.

Rebecca is an affluent white woman married to a professor of the elite Columbia University. She's also raising her adopted Chinese daughter. She is keeping a secret very close to her heart and after ruining her reputation once before, she is afraid this secret she is keeping will destroy everything she has worked for..

This has definitely earned the right to be in the top for historical/multicultural fiction book of the year..It made me feel all the things a good book should make you feel. It broke my heart a little, but it put it back together.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 by Jean Kwok. I assumed the book was literary fiction which is partially correct but I was completely blindsided (in the best way possible) by the mystery aspect running throughout.

The story explores the role of motherhood and the relationships between child and mother both by birth and adoption. It also has commentary on the One Child Policy of China, a peek into the role of publishing, and the lengths a woman will go to reclaim her child. This book was a total page turner!

“In China, I’d seen posters warning girls of the danger of becoming leftover women, women that nobody wanted, leftover like scraps on a table, uneaten food, both a sacrilege and wasteful. Something that should have nourished our country, squandered and rubbish. Unwanted. Purposeless. Of no use to anyone. I was a leftover woman.”