Critic Reviews
Good
Based on 4 reviews on
Everyone in Orange County's Little Saigon knew that the Duong sisters were cursed.
It started with their ancestor, Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love--so a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Duong women would only give birth to daughters.
Oanh's current descendant Mai Nguyen knows this curse well. She's divorced, and after an explosive disagreement a decade ago, estranged from her younger sisters, Minh Pham (the middle and the mediator) and Khuyen Lam (the youngest who swears she just runs humble coffee shops and nail salons, not Little Saigon's underground). Though Mai's three adult daughters, Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao, are successful in their careers (one of them is John Cho's dermatologist!), the same can't be said for their love lives. Mai is convinced they might drive her to an early grave.
Desperate for guidance, she consults Auntie Hua, her trusted psychic in Hawaii, who delivers an unexpected prediction: this year, her family will witness a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son. This prophecy will reunite estranged mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins--for better or for worse.
A multi-narrative novel brimming with levity and candor, "The Fortunes of Jaded Women pulls off the magic trick of being a heartfelt, multi-generational epic as well as a fast-paced, hilarious romp. It is your good fortune to have this novel in your hands" (Camille Perri, author of When Katie Met Cassidy).
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is a poet and author.
THE FORTUNES OF JADED WOMEN is a hilarious while serious, exhilarating yet moving novel about a family of kickass Vietnamese American women who fearlessly pursue their happiness and healing, even when their fortunes were cursed.
"The Fortunes of Jaded Women is as much about love and marriage as it is about the cultural chasms we must bridge between generations. There is no shortage of dysfunctional, zany, chaotic women in this book full of Vietnamese joy."
Book reviews and recommendations 📚 Sign up for our weekly newsletter by visiting our site and clicking on 'Email Newsletter' (top left)! 📖
Check out @MLabrise's interview with Carolyn Huynh, author of THE FORTUNES OF JADED WOMEN, on our Fully Booked video podcast ◆ https://t.co/P0MoTArscA @AtriaBooks https://t.co/497hcELcPA