Title: The Leftover Woman

Author: Jean Kwok

Publisher: William Morrow 2023

Genre: Mystery?

Pages: 288

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Lifetime - 40s

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth—another female casualty of China’s controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly risky decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She’s even hired a nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca’s job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it's a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city—separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child.

First off, this book was labeled as a mystery/thriller. I beg to differ. This is a very slow moving literary fiction style story with a dash of mystery. If the reader is at all astute, the “twists” will be seen a mile away. They did not add anything substantial to the story. As to the story itself, it doesn’t really explore any interesting topics that haven’t already been done by other authors. The main female characters are extremely unlikeable as opposed to real, flawed humans. And their entire personalities seem to revolve around simplistic identities even when attempting to explore something deeper. I wanted to really root for these women and understand their choices. Instead, I found myself rolling my eyes at almost every page. And do not get me started on the “romance” between Jasmine and Anthony. When they weren’t pining for each other, the actual conversation read like a 13 year old’s diary. Very disappointing.

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