The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

Happy Friday! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things blog tour for Jean Kwok's latest, The Leftover Woman. 

Jasmine has left her life behind and come to America in hopes of finding her daughter, Fiona. But first, she needs to find a way to pay off the people who got her out of China. And stay out of notice of anyone who can alert her husband, Wen, of her whereabouts. Which is why it's a shock to run into her old friend, Anthony, while job hunting in the city. 

Rebecca is a high-powered editor who wants to have it all: family and a successful career. But after an embarrassing incident with one of her authors, she's finding it more difficult than ever to balance those variables. If she can land a big author at auction, she can get her career back on track. But she can't help feeling like she's losing her grasp on things at home. 

One thing connects Jasmine and Rebecca: Jasmine is the biological mother of Rebecca's adopted daughter. 

The Leftover Woman is a character-driven suspenseful narrative that explores oh so many things! Primarily womanhood, motherhood, and Asian culture. Which is a terrible simplification of the book. 

Jasmine is a daughter from a country that historically does not value its daughters. In spite of this, women are a commodity as wives. And her parents essentially sold her into marriage. And at first things are ok. But when she discovers her husband has betrayed her in the worst way imaginable, it marks the end of their union in her eyes. 

Rebecca is a legacy in the publishing world. And determined to stay that way. But if she can't land a hugely desirable author, she may be in danger of losing her job. It doesn't help that she feels disconnected at home. Jealous of her daughter's affection for her nanny and concerned that she's losing ground in her relationship, she soon finds that juggling all of these pieces is harder than she'd imagined. 

There is a mystery involved here (which I've not gone into). And a definite underlying tension that makes what is sort of a slow burn, utterly gripping. And all of that wrapped in a lovely lyrical package. The Leftover Woman isn't a pretty story, but I have to say that Kwok's writing is. 

The Leftover Woman is one of those magical books that's perfect for a broad range of readers: a cross-genre read with lots of emotion. At times it made me sad and at others it stressed me out. Throughout, I found myself rooting for these two very different women, unsure how things could possibly work out for both of them but very much wanting it to be so. 

The Leftover Woman is out now in the UK from Viper!