The Leftover Woman

There are just so many good things I could say about this book. I absolutely tore (pun intended) through this read . Everyone needs to go read it

This book has it all - an emotional drama, a mystery and a some very serious cultural commentary. I would highly recommend it to those that are looking for a dramatic story that would keep them absolutely invested in it.

One of my favourite books of those I’ve read so far this year. Told from the perspective of two very different women, in Jasmine’s case it’s in the first person but in Rebecca’s in the third person. Beautifully written and perfectly paced I enjoyed every page, reading it in a day.

Briefly, Jasmine Yang ran from her abusive husband in rural China after finding out that he had lied about their daughter dying shortly after birth, five years earlier, and as an illegal immigrant is unable to get work in New York. Eventually she finds a job as a hostess in a seedy nightclub that didn’t require papers. Rebecca Whitney is a wealthy woman working in her deceased father’s publishing company, married with an adopted daughter and a nanny to look after her but her charmed life is beginning to unravel.

The book centres around the then one child policy in China, whereby many families would get rid of girl babies as they wanted a boy who would earn and look after them in their old age. My heart went out to Jasmine but I also felt sorry for Rebecca who was in a terrible situation not of her making. There were some unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming in this wonderfully compelling read. This is a book I’ll remember, it’s emotional and gripping with a heartbreaking storyline and a difficult and tear jerking conclusion. Brilliant.

This is an exquisite, complex, profoundly moving, emotive, and heartbreaking, character driven novel from Jean Kwok that has an impact far beyond its relatively short length, focusing on 2 women whose lives could not be more different and the personal repercussions of China's controversial one child policy. If you only knew the specific circumstances of each women, you would think it unlikely there would be any point of connection between them. Mother Jasmine Yang lives a impoverished precarious life in New York, as an illegal immigrant from China, a journey facilitated by 'snakeheads' to whom she is in debt. There is the possibility of a abusive husband following her, Wen, who deceived her, telling her that her daughter had died, he had wanted a son.

The leftover woman, Jasmine is resilient, on her own, having experienced a challenging, traumatic, and difficult life, now desperate to reconnect with her lost adopted daughter. Living in constant fear, she moves from the demanding world of strip clubs where harrassment is the norm, to the dangers from criminals and her past. Rebecca Whitney is a driven, ambitious woman with a secret, living a wealthy life of privilege, married to Columbia University professor, Brandon, who speaks Chinese. She is a mother to an adopted Chinese girl, Fifi, employing a Chinese nanny to care for her. Rebecca is a editor in chief in publishing, a high pressure profession that has her juggling the different aspects of her life. The scene is set for high drama, tensions, and twists.

Kwok explores key themes of motherhood, cultural differences and misunderstandings, race, class, the position of women from different ends of the social and economic scale, the process of adoption, gender, ambition, power, surviving, and the implications of being a lowly, undocumented immigrant. This is a searing, hopeful and memorable read, Jasmine in particular is a revelation, given all the cards she had been dealt in life, she is not a character I will forget in a hurry. A remarkable book that I recommend highly. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Jasmine Yang, a young Chinese girl trudges the streets of New York, no money and no plan other than a hope of a different life and a chance to find the child taken away from her at birth.

With no papers and in debt to a criminal organisation for her illegal passage the risks are high. Struggling to obtain employment she finds herself at the seedier end of Chinatown where questions aren't asked and language barriers don't matter. In another part of New York a weathly publishing editor is juggling her career, her marriage, her social calendar and her newly adopted daughter.

Totally compelling, the book had my attention from the opening pages. A dual storyline that compelled me to keep reading, both womens lives unfurling before me as inevitably they came together.

Captivating from start to finish with good characterisation, a storyline that tugs at the heartstrings and a gripping conclusion this is one of my standout reads of the year.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy, I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own.

The Leftover Woman is told from the perspectives of Jasmine and Rebecca. It covers race, immigration, social standing and just how far a mother's love for her child can take her.
I absolutely loved it and could not put it down. It is beautifully written and atmospheric. I cannot recommend it enough.

I absolutely loved The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok and am so happy that I was granted an ARC of this to read. It is set in New York and is told from the POV of Jasmine, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, and Rebecca, a wealthy white woman who works in publishing. I could not put this down - it is an absorbing and compelling mystery that I will recommend wholeheartedly.

A beautiful and emotional book which I really enjoyed reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This isn't the type of book I would normally read but I was offered the chance and I'm really glad I did.

This was a really thought provoking novel which dealt with a theme which I haven't really encountered much in the novels I have read

Highly recommended

The story is beautiful and harrowing at the same time. The character Jasmine and her journey in life. Jasmine is trying to make a fresh start after falling pregnant and losing her baby at birth. Moving to America she tries to make ends meet and meets her ex lover who is married. They adopted a baby from China. Gripping story that I couldn’t put down.

Highly recommended read that captures the heart as two very different mothers care for the same child. Well written and great story worthy of five stars.

This is a great book, I love the dual narrative and story and timelines.
I felt at times that it was hard hitting and it was a tough read at times but I’m so glad I persevered.

Although a bit bit of slow burner, it is well worth sticking with this book. Beautifully written and truly a masterpiece.

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok.
A moving read as Jasmine Yang who learns that her husband adopted her baby at birth is determined to find her child. This was a moving read. I did admire Jasmine. 5*.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, as I have done with all that I’ve read from Jean Kwok. This story really got to me, it pull at my heartstrings, caused me to almost shed a tear on more than one occasion. To do what feels right, or what is right- which path should be followed, which will win out? That was the dilemma. I highly recommend this read!!!

When Jasmine discovers that the daughter she believed to be dead was actually adopted by an American family, she leaves China in search of her child.

I loved this brilliant book that was the perfect combination of family drama and mystery.

The story is told from the perspective of Jasmine and also Rebecca, the adoptive mother of Jasmine's child. There was such a huge contrast between the women in terms of their backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles which worked so well with the plot.

There were many themes touched upon in the story, from the choice that women face between their careers and families, to domestic violence. These were all threaded together perfectly to form such a heartbreaking story. I found it particularly harrowing how the events in the book stemmed from China's one-child policy and the knock-on effects it can have.

The jaw-dropping twists in this book make it a must-read for everyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Viper Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was a compelling read following Jasmine as she arrives in America to find her daughter, who has been given up for her adoption by her Father due to his desire for a son amidst China's one child policy. Meanwhile, Rebecca Fiona's adoptive mother struggles to balance her career with motherhood and maintain her marriage. This was a fantastic novel, beautifully written, thought-provoking, and poignant with great characterisation. The story was told through the dual narrative of Jasmine and Rebecca, which was particularly effective and was well paced with a gripping finale. Overall, this was a fantastic read, and I loved having the opportunity to read this book. It certainly won't be the last book I read by this author! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this brilliant read.

Thanks to #netgalley and publishers for arc
This novel tells the story of Chinese women and the harsh one child policy that used to apply in China, Rebecca is married to Brandon but they are unable to conceive a baby he then attaches a private adoption from china of a newborn baby girl from an orphanage Rebecca is delighted and falls in love with the little girl they name Fiona or Fi-Fi for short.
Brandon arranges for her to have a Chinese speaking live in nanny as after a few months it becomes apparent they cannot look after a child and run the household and work their high powered jobs, her name is Lucy and she is a dumpy looking thing so Rebecca has no worries about Brandon falling in love with her!
Then the story twists and turns and Fiona’s real mum turns up she had been told her daughter had died and had been distraught at the time to find out she was alive and happy was amazing
Then Fiona’s father turns up but he wants his family back much to Rebecca, Brandon and Lucy’s horror ( he had been violently cruel to Lucy and she had used any means possible to escape him) they were all tied together in a terrible tragedy until Wen (Lucy husband) pulls out a gun
Then the room goes silent
Who will get out
Are these women really as downtrodden as they used to be, Lucy has been doing self defence classes secretly maybe now is the time to use them but how?

Yet another good book by Jean Kwok, a real pull-at-the-heartstrings kind of book.

Emotional, versus right, 1 child but 2 mothers, can it work? An interesting read for a winter's night.

The Leftover Woman is a story of family, culture, love, priveledge and lack of it - told through the eyes of two very different mothers. The story isn't obvious and I loved the twists in it, it kept me hooked all the way to the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the pubishers for allowing me to read The Leftover Woman.

Jean Kwok has written and a compelling and heartbreaking book about the power of motherhood to cross racial and economic divides. It’s a tale of two women who are polar opposites in terms of wealth and privilege, but equal in their maternal love.

Jasmine Yang has run away from her controlling husband in China. A victim of China’s one child policy, she is not valued by her family and was sold to him at the age of 14. At first she came to love, but after a series of miscarriages he became cruel towards her and she recognised his sole obsession in bearing a son. When she eventually gave birth to a daughter, she was told the baby had died. Now she is alone and undocumented in New York and must work in a strip club as a waitress to pay back the extortionate amount of money she owes the Chinese ‘snakeheads’ for her passage to America.

Rebecca Whitney is a wealthy, career-oriented editor-in- chief of a prestigious publishing house, married to Brandon, a professor of languages including Chinese, at Columbia. Unable to have a child, they have an adopted daughter from China, Fifi. To cope with the demands of their busy jobs and lifestyle, they have a live in Chinese nanny, Lucy who loves their daughter and is teaching her Chinese.

The novel has a gradual build up, documenting the very different lives of these two strong women and the challenges they both face. Their worlds will collide spectacularly with repercussions for all in a tense twist that see the women recognise each other’s humanity. As well as exploring the themes of motherhood, class and culture, the novel also highlights the unequal way women are treated by society with standards of behaviour different to those allowed for men, regardless of their class and race. I found this a very moving read and loved the final chapter offering hope and survival for both women.

This was a fascinating story with several different threads. It brought to life the differences that varying cultures experience when they are out of their own country. The characters were excellentand the story flowed easily to the final conclusion.

A poignant and tense story that moved me and kept on the edge. There's so much to love in this story and I enjoyed every moment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine