What a creative way to tell the story of China during the revolution and how so many ordinary people were displaced and destroyed by their leaders. I loved how Chen tells how hard it was for the Chinese not only during WWII when the Japanese had taken over but also during the revolution when everything changed and those who had freedom suddenly lost it. It always makes me sad when ordinary people are destroyed because of jealousy and ideology. I wish that this book will awaken in others that ordinary people never win when extremism rule.

I loved Haiwen and Suchi's love for one another and how it endured so much hardship and distanced and yet they found each other again. There was so much selflessness in this story, so many of the characters gave up so much so that others could have a better life, it made me want to cry. I'm grateful that some of the sacrifices turn out ok, but ever single character thought they weren't worthy to share their grief with others, I wonder what would have happen if they did. I'm sorry that Haiwen's love and gift had to be put aside but it was for a good reason and yet it found it's way back to him. It is hard to hear what happened to both Haiwen's and Suchi's fathers, it always sad when characters you admire disappear.
I liked how the author kept bring Haiwen and Suchi back together, even for a little while and they were never far from each others thoughts.
I liked the way the narrative switched around and kept filling in the blanks about why events happened the way they did, and I found the story more interesting and fulfilling.
One last thought, I think many people have an idea about who the Chinese people are and their history, but I'm hoping that after reading this book and investigating a little further that they'll realize that the Chinese people are more complex and diverse as everyone else and they to would have liked a different outcome.

I want to thank PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for an advance copy of this fascinating story about loves endurance and a little about the Chinese cuture.

Karissa Chen is a beautiful writer and this is a wonderful book. I am so happy to have read this book and experience these characters throughout their lifetime.

Love is something that is so special towards humans and the book highlighted it.

Thank you Netgalley and Karissa for the arc.

Told from split timelines and alternating perspectives, "Homeseeking" is a generational epic that looks back on the lives of two fated individuals and the events and stories that both split them apart and brought them together.

In Shanghai, China at the precipice of World War II, Suchi and Haiwen are just children who grow up in the same longtang, or street, and attend the same school. Suchi is the youngest sister, growing up in the shadow of her older sister Sulan, when she meets Haiwen who transfers into her class. The two are immediately drawn together, as Haiwen is a budding violinist, and become close friends, despite the disapproval of Suchi's mother. However, a domino of events soon follow as they live through the end of the second Sino-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist army is overthrown and forced to flee to Taiwan, and Mao's Communist Party takes rule. Haiwen makes the impulsive decision to enlist in the army, while Suchi and Sulan are sent away to Hong Kong. There's little chance for them to reunite, however...

Decades later in January 2008, Haiwen looks up in the midst of grocery shopping in a 99 Ranch in LA and noticed another customer who has a striking resemblance to Suchi. His suspicions are confirmed, and the two continue to meet given an unexpected overlap in their retirement social circles, and little by little, the two learn more about what has happened to the other since they parted. Both Haiwen and Suchi have been married, with children and grandchildren, but despite the passage of time, they come to find that some things don't change and begin to wonder if it's possible to recoup the lost time.

From the very few passages, Karissa Chen's writing was engaging and descriptive, taking me back to the neighborhood of Shanghai where Suchi and Haiwen grew up. The amount of research and care given to crafting these views into historical China was evident, and also gave me new clarity into what this time period would have been like; as a first generation Chinese American immigrant, I had learned much from my parents about their childhood growing up in Communist China, but this was a look back into what life would have been like for my grandparents. The characters, especially the protagonists are crafted with care and complexity, and you truly feel for them as they struggle through both political and social turmoil, as well as their individual obstacles. For Suchi especially, seeing how she took on the burden of care for her older sister and was forced to take on jobs and relationships she didn't truly want, was especially painful.

However, I don't think this novel will be appreciated by all readers as there is a lot packed into this novel. Chen rotates between Cantonese and Mandarin names and phrases, which was confusing enough for a Mandarin speaker like myself, and I imagine would be even more confusing for those who are not familiar with either language. This is also a fairly lengthy novel (500+ pages) and while I appreciated the time and focus spent on Haiwen and Suchi and what happened to them in the decades that followed, it felt drawn out at times and there were several sections that I didn't think contributed much to the storyline.

A worthy read for those who might be familiar with the language and history, but not a novel I would recommend for everyone.

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
I read this courtesy Net Galley and Putnam. Haiwen and Suchi met as children in Shanghai, grew up together, fell in love … and then in the aftermath of World War II and in the rise of the turmoil of the civil war that followed, Haiwen abruptly joins the Nationalist army, leaving only a note for Suchi. Their lives split apart, with only glimpses of each other in the ensuing decades, when they meet again, it’s in of all places Los Angeles. Sixty years have separated them, and they have led very different lives from what they imagined they would have. Can they pick up from where they left off? No. But they can get to know the people they have become. This story is a emotional journey from the present to the past to the present again, looking at how two people can change and yet stay the same through the years.

#Homeseeking #NetGalley #Putnam #Shanghai #Haiwen #Taiwan #ChineseDiaspora

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley.

This is an absolutely brilliant debut! Suchi and Haiwen’s story is one that will stick with me for a long time. After reading HOMESEEKING, I have discovered I have much to learn about the historical events mentioned throughout the novel so I will definitely be referencing the acknowledgments in the future to read some of the source material the author used throughout the writing process. Looking forward to reading more by Chen in the future!

Oh dear, I hadn't ugly-cried to a book since "A Little Life." "Homeseeking" is reminiscent of "The Joy Luck Club," but follows the Suji and Haeven as they grow up in WWII International Settlement Shanghai and navigate the reckonings of the Chinese Civil War in the decades later. Beautiful, heart-wrenching story about family and the tough decisions we'd all make for the people we love most.

Suchi and Haiwen meet as kids in Shanghai, and their friendship turns into love. They have ‘yuan fen,’ and their fates are tethered to each other like with a string. This concept seems similar to the Korean concept of ‘in yeon’ featured in the film Past Lives. Like in that film, these two childhood sweethearts are separated and reunited later in life.

When Haiwen secretly enlisted in the Nationalist army in 1947 to save his brother from the draft, Suchi was left with just his violin and a note: Forgive Me.

Over sixty years, they endure the trials of war, displacement, and separation, only to be unexpectedly reunited in LA. Homeseeking chronicles the resilience of these two families as they journey from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States. Readers gain insight into the Sino-Japanese and Chinese Civil War, and the survival methods families employed during those tumultuous times. The novel also prompts us to consider how these survival methods, once necessary, may no longer be beneficial in times of peace.

Two unique aspects of the book were the author’s use of names and the timeline. Since this novel focuses on the Chinese and Taiwanese diaspora, Karissa Chen attempts to represent the Sinitic languages spoken. The characters' names change mildly throughout this story to denote the way they code-switch or adapt to their environments. Note: Readers need not fear confusion, as this naming convention was easy to follow.
This novel is a masterful blend of perspectives, with Suchi’s narrative moving forward in time, while Haiwen’s portion unfolds in reverse. This unique storytelling technique creates a sense of suspense and intrigue, maintaining the novel's momentum and pacing at an excellent level.
This epic tale spans 60 years and the globe, inviting readers to reexamine the profound and complex concept of home.

I feel like fans of the film Past Lives, the books In Memoriam by Alice Winn, Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon, or House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng would like this book about impossible choices, time, memory, and those we love. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the ARC.

This book was very boring and it was a labor to read and finish. I will not be providing a link to Goodreads as I don’t like to post bad reviews.

I feel like I spent years with these characters, following their lives from childhood to old age. This is a story about impossible choices many people had to make to keep their families and other loved ones safe and healthy during tumultuous times in Chinese history.

The story jumps around to various central points in the characters' lives, while highlighting experiences across the Chinese diaspora. I learned a lot about the different experiences of people in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The cultural differences, the languages and food, the political systems, and the effects of various wars on the people (Second Sino-Japanese War leading into WWII, and the Chinese Civil War).

It is sad how much both sides (Nationalists vs Communists) suffered and families were torn apart by war. The characters are vividly written and the details were rich. The food descriptions sounded scrumptious and the historical details felt well-researched. There was a bit of a dip in the momentum towards the end of the story, dragged by perhaps too many side plots, but overall I loved this story.

This was a beautiful book about a couple who had sixty years between their lives, and ultimately found their way back to one another. As an immigrant myself, I LOVED how this book beautifully explores what it means to find home far from your homeland. The details in the book are fascinating, the story is heart wrenchingly emotional, and in the end, not only did I learn so much, I grew so much as a reader as well.

This novel spans decades and jumps between the POVs of the two main characters, Suchi and Haiwen, but maintains a certain intimacy that I really loved. At times it felt like I was listening to my grandma/pa telling me a story from their youth.

If you’re Chinese, you might just cry during this book. The stories of Haiwen and Suchi growing up and falling in love but then being apart and coming back together a few times before theyre finally 60 years old was very cute and moving. However, all of the loss and regret and longing is also so heartwrenching. Their stories are not just theirs. Other people like them had to give up so much due to the war. They had to leave their parents and never see them again. Haiwen was just 16. Suchi and her sister were younger than 20 when they left for Hong Kong. It made me so sad for all of the people who had to go through this back then and who had lost hope. I cant imagine being away from my family and not knowing if they were even alive. I know my grandma probably felt that way when she came to the United States for a better life. I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the love story. I enjoyed it all. It definitely will pull at your heart strings.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Historical Fiction shows how Chinese families were torn apart as they went through the painful transformation from Japanese occupation to their current communist status. It is a love story that starts during the post Sino-Japanese era in China and continued through the wave of Nationalism that violent brought the country together. We know the next stage in her history is the rise of communism that tore families apart.

In this poignant story we meet two families, the Wangs and the Zangs and their children Haiwen and Suchi. The book is accurate and delivers the lovely details of sharing the subtle name changes as they speak in the local dialect of Shanghai, in Mandarin and Cantonese. The main characters are also called by their childhood nicknames, like they would have been in China. Haiwen is also Haeven, Doudou and Howard. I appreciate that Karissa Chen felt that she did not have to dumb down the book for her readers but gave us the opportunity to see all the iterations, even though it was a struggle to keep track of them in the beginning.

Haewen is a talented, driven violinist with a bright future before him. He comes from a wealthy family. Suchi is a bright, spunky daughter of a bookstore owner. They are in love and look forward to a life together. As war with Japan begins. the Nationalist army begins to conscript one son from every family. Haewen fills a filial duty to be that person. True love and self worth and filial duty and in conflict here. To make matters worse. what was a great sacrifice, volunteering for the Nationalist Army, becomes a black mark against his family under communist rule. Nothing is as it was. Those who could be once trusted can no longer be depended upon. What was considered a point of pride is now something to hide.

Chen's book shows how quickly the world can turn upside down and how difficult it can be to navigate through it. It is written from two points of view and flows through different time periods flawlessly. It is not a book that winds everything up in a bow at the end. It is more accepting of reality from start to finish and that is what made it a solid read. They lived through very different periods, all of them straight from the history books and none of them easy. From immersion in the communist party, immersion in the nationalist party and totally escaping it all by running away, we saw 3 different perspectives of what it took to survive during that time. Strong characters with frailties and fears, this book was exceptional.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the advance copy of this book.

I'm a sucker for stories that involve sweethearts that get to meet up again later in life. Homeseeking was a story that spans a few decades with the chapters going back and forth. Haiwen and Suchi are teenage sweethearts in Shanghai that are separated due to war. The author did a wonderful job keeping the alternating timelines and viewpoints going while revealing what happened during the time Haiwen and Suchi were separated. I enjoyed this book but there were parts in the middle that were a bit slower paced. Overall, it's a wonderful story. Thank you to the Publisher, Karissa Chen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the Publisher, Karissa Chen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was wonderful! It is very different from the books I typically pick up, but the synopsis had me very intrigued and I’m so glad I requested an ARC. I loved Suchi & Haiwen’s story and the switching between POVs and times lead for some great cliff hangers and revelations. Chen also had a way with words and her descriptions had me feeling like I was right there watching the scenes unfold.

My only qualm was that at times it did seem to drag, but I never lost interest in the story, I just found myself taking a break and returning later to continue reading.

Also initially the swapping between titles and names with the various languages made it a bit tricky for my to understand but by the 2nd or 3rd chapter I was able track what was happening better.

I look forward to reading more from Chen in the future and could easily see this being made into a movie(which I would LOVE).

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Homeseeking by Karissa Chen. This was a wonderful saga of Haiwen and Suchi. Their relationship spans seven decades. I really liked the aspects of their relationship, but also how it intertwined with the history in China over time. It showed the culture and expectations of women during the 1940s through 60s. This is a story of second chances and how our choices can impact our life path.

Wow. I just adored this book. I liked this books that takes the reader in a journey of theses two main characters connecting after be apart for years. Such an emotional read while given the reader and education in the complexities of modern Chinese war and politics. I adored both characters, Suchi and Haiwen being childhood friend in Shanghai. Suchi’s story is told from childhood through adulthood and Haiwen is told from adulthood to childhood. The author did mention their names would change throughout the book and I was a little hesitant at first but it in the end it was not an issue. The story of these two was written beautifully. This is definitely a book it will be purchasing for my own library,

Chen is an amazing writer and an excellent storyteller. This was a well researched historical fiction novel in which I truly learned so much about the politics and cultural complexities of modern Chinese war. I fell in love with Suchi and Haiwen and adored that they were high school sweethearts. I was impressed and enjoyed how everything tied together and came full circle at the end.

3.5 🌟

This was truly a journey where you follow childhood sweetheart Suchi and Haiwen throughout their life. Their relationship is multilayered and many outside factors do appear along the way that interfere with their relationship. I felt like at the end of this book, I truly felt like I knew these two characters. This book also had multiple POVs so we could follow both Suichi’s and Haiwen’s individual journeys. We were also able to get a glimpse into their thoughts.

At times, this book was heartbreaking to read. The writing was really easy to follow. The story did suffer from a few pacing issues especially during the middle where I started to feel like it was dragging.

In conclusion, I am glad to have read this story as I have not read many historical fiction novels..

I absolutely adored this book so much, as soon as I started reading it I knew I would enjoy it. This book took me on such a journey and I loved the way our main characters stories were written and lined up. I fell in love with both characters and the way Chen writes is so beautiful. I’ll definitely be purchasing this book for my own personal library when it comes out.