Started a little slow but then I was totally engrossed. I was very invested in the fates of Jasmine and Fiona. Loved the twist about halfway through! Perfect ending.

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok caught my eye because it is a story of mothers and daughters and what makes a family. I love stories with a moral dilemma, especially when it concerns determining the best interests of a child.

The story was told from two points of view: Jasmine, the Chinese mother whose child was taken without her consent, and Rebecca, the American woman who, along with her devoted husband, is raising a Chinese daughter. Their two stories will intersect in both predictable and surprising ways.

I found both characters to be relatable and sympathetic, as they were both grappling with roles imposed on them by society and their families. Some of the plot seemed contrived, especially Jasmine's romance with Anthony. As the plot moved toward the climax, it was suddenly over in one major scene that I found too abrupt and a bit unbelievable. I will call this 3.5 stars rounded down for uneven pacing and a rushed ending.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Leftover Woman is a complicated story, yet easy to read. It's told primarily from the perspectives of 2 women - Jasmine, a young Chinese woman who has fled China and her abusive husband, and Rebecca, a wealthy white New Yorker who has adopted her daughter from China along with her white husband who speaks Mandarin fluently. Rebecca is torn between her love for her daughter and her work in the publishing world. Jasmine will go to far lengths to find the daughter she lost due to the one child policy. The way the characters' lives come together is not exactly surprising, but it is well written and interesting to read. It is a good example of one of the many ways the one child policy has had far reaching consequences.

The Leftover Woman is a beautiful exploration of family and the ties that bind us to each other. Jasmine has recently come to NYC to be closer to her daughter - an adopted baby that was taken from her at birth. Rebecca, a mother of an adopted child, is navigating family, work, and marriage stress as things start to unravel in every piece of her life. We see how these women are forever tied together.

Jean Kwok once again brings her gift for suspense, family drama, and beautiful prose to this book. Don’t miss it!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC - The Leftover Woman is out now!

Based on the description of this book I thought I would really love the content -- it seemed like a twisty thriller. In the end I don't think the book lived up to the description or what I was expecting. The book is told from two viewpoints -- Jasmine, a woman from China in the US looking for her daughter that was taken at birth, and Rebecca, the a (semi-)successful NYC editor who adopted the daughter.

I think there were some holes in the plot, or even situations which just came up abruptly and left me confused in the moment. The start of the book gave me more questions. How did Jasmine actually get to America (through immigration, etc) and then the Anthony character....why was he even there? He seemed like an insignificant side plot. In the beginning it was almost like we were plopped down into a scene but thinking through it logically I was left with questions. As Jasmine's story evolves I found myself liking her chapters less and less. It sort of went off the rails for me. I didn't feel that with Rebecca's chapters. It almost felt like the women (and their situations, plot) were written by two different authors. And for some of the side characters, they felt undeveloped.

When everything comes together in the end I was sort of left unfulfilled? Some of the actions and emotions of the people seemed unrealistic. I guess this just wasn't the book for me! I would classify it less of a mystery/thriller and more of a family drama.

The Leftover Woman, by Jean Kwok, is a fascinating family drama with a dash of a mystery thrown into the plot. The book focuses on two characters, Jasmine, a recent immigrant from China and Rebecca, a wealthy book publisher with a seemingly perfect life.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the book does come together in a very satisfying way. I appreciated learning about China’s controversial One Child Policy and the impact it has on Chinese society. The writing was compelling and, while Jasmine and Rebecca weren’t always likeable, the author did a nice job of creating very nuanced characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was completely immersed in this story about a woman who comes to America to seek the child that she was tricked into giving up. The child was adopted to a wealthy white couple. The woman has plans of kidnapping the child, because after all, it's her child, not theirs.

While I enjoyed this story, it was personally triggering for me. I am adopted. When I was young, about Fiona's age, I had a dream that my birth mom kidnapped me and brought me back to Korea. Growing up, I refused to visit Korea, for fear that I would be separated from my family. As I’m older, the fear has dissipated, but in reading this story, something got dredged up and I felt anxious. However in reading this book, particularly Jasmine's POV (the birth mother), was appreciated because I received a different view of a mother's love and sacrifice from afar. It was humbling.

For her faults, I also enjoyed reading Rebecca’s (the adopted mother) story, her background and career. Personally, my favorite character was Oswald! Strongly advocating for a sequel surrounding him and his fabulous fashion.

A family drama told from the viewpoints of two mothers, The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok twists and turns as it reveals dark secrets. With themes and scenes ranging from immigration and racism to cutthroat moves in the publishing world to strip clubs and Tavern on the Green, we experience a lot of New York in its pages.

While some of the secrets were broadcast miles ahead, others were indeed surprising. I did experience some eye-rolling as the narrative and the prose veer into soap opera territory, everybody's hiding something, how dashing, how cunning. Several of the characters were hard to like, but despite that I stayed up late to see how it would end.

It'll be hard to beat "Don't give up on that pot roast, Dawn" as one of the funniest lines ever read.

My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. The Leftover Woman was published in October 2023.

Jasmine Yang is a victim of the China one-child policy. Since her daughter was unknowingly taken from her at birth (and told the baby died), Jasmine leaves her husband and heads to NYC to find her daughter. She decides to take a job at a dance club to make enough money to re-claim her daughter and raise her.
Rebecca Whitney is a publishing executive with a wonderful husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter. She comes from wealth, but wants to make it on her own. One of her rivals is making her life difficult. Rebecca starts to wonder if the nanny she hired is getting too close to her daughter, Fiona.
Jasmine and Rebecca both have the same goal, to protect their daughter, but there are costs-and scandals surrounding them. It all comes to a head when Rebecca lands an exciting novel-and her rival exposes her.
I loved this story. Jean Kwok did an amazing job telling the story of the two women and their struggles.

3.5 stars

Now that I have a little bit of a break from the demands of work and school, I am hoping to get caught back up on the new releases and book club reads that I had been neglecting over the past month. One of those new releases is Jean Kwok’s latest novel The Leftover Woman, which came out earlier in the month. I had read Kwok’s previous novel Searching for Sylvie Lee several years back and had really enjoyed it, so of course this book, her newest work, was highly anticipated. In the end, Kwok definitely didn’t disappoint, as she delivered a solid, compelling story that proved to be both culturally resonant as well as thought-provoking - though not without a few flaws.

At the center of the story are two women from completely opposite worlds. Jasmine Yang is a young Chinese woman from a poor rural village who enters into an arranged marriage at 14 to a man years older than her. After suffering several miscarriages, Jasmine finally gives birth to a daughter, but not too long afterwards, is told that the baby died. Jasmine is devastated — until she finds out that her husband lied to her and actually gave the baby up for adoption so that they could try for a son under China’s strict One Child Policy. Determined to find her daughter, Jasmine plans an escape from her abusive marriage and eventually lands in New York through the help of “snakeheads” whom she has to figure out a way to pay back. Meanwhile, in New York, Rebecca Whitney is an editor at a glamorous publishing house who is living the dream life — she has a prestigious family name and the accompanying wealth and privilege that comes with it, and she lives in a beautiful house with a handsome, talented husband aa well as an adopted daughter whom she adores. But balancing a high profile career with the demands of marriage and motherhood is not easy and when a work-related scandal breaks out, Rebecca finds her perfect life slowly starting to unravel. The story is told alternately from the perspectives of these two very different women whose lives end up colliding in unexpected ways.

I really appreciated the premise of this story, especially Jasmine’s storyline about her struggles fleeing an archaic, patriarchal system and the choices she had to make once she was in America trying to find her daughter. Not that I didn’t like Rebecca’s storyline, but I just felt that it was less necessary — I would’ve liked to see Jasmine’s story explored more, as there were opportunities there that were only touched upon. I will be honest in saying that I preferred Jasmine’s story arc and the direction that Kwok went with it (though there was potential for more as I mentioned earlier), whereas Rebecca’s story arc felt typical of other stories that we’ve read before.

Plot-wise, I felt that the first half of the story dragged a bit and the buildup was slow — I definitely preferred the second half better, though the ending also felt too rushed (and there were some plot holes that weren’t too believable). Despite the pacing issues though, I enjoyed this one overall — the cultural aspects were done well and the “twist” did take me by surprise (though it didn’t blow me away to the point that I keep thinking about it like I’ve done with other twists).

I don’t want to say too much, since this IS a mystery / thriller after all, so it’s best to go in knowing as little as possible (though I have to say that the story was more character-driven than plot-driven, so from that aspect, the thriller element was less prominent). I definitely recommend picking this one up, especially if you’re looking for a story that has mystery / thriller elements, but also emotional depth and poignancy. I can’t wait to see what Kwok comes out with next!

Received ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley.

"I was a leftover woman, I realized.After everyone else had carved away what they wanted to see in me and taken what they desired, I was all that was left." Jean Kwok, The Leftover Woman. Four star read. An expected story of love, loss, identity, belonging and bond between mother and child.

This was honestly a bummer of a read. I was excited to read this one as an adoptive mom myself. The story was all tell, no show. Characters were one-dimensional and boring. The side story about Rebecca’s publishing job was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the story besides dragging the story out to an unnecessary length. The climax was a single page and it felt like even the author was bored by the story at that point.

A complex story of a wealthy and successful couple in the USA, an adopted child, her Chinese nanny, and the hidden secrets of all. This looks at mothers, careers, immigration, deceit, all through a bewildering chain of events. This is about love, deceit, and the invisibility of immigrants. It is a page turner.

This book was particularly interesting to me because we have friends who adopted a little girl from China who are the absolute best parents and if something like this happened to them, would be completely and utterly devastated. I absolutely loved the two different points of view and the twists and turns of both of their lives that connected Jasmine and Rebecca together, even though I had some of the surprise twists figured out fairly early on.

I did find some of the timeline confusing, as some of the technology seemed a bit too advanced for the time period in which it was used, particularly when it came to cell phones and texting. That aside, it wasn't a big deal when reading and did not detract from the story.

Overall, the story was extremely well written and I especially liked that the focus was on a Chinese birth mom who had not given consent for her child to be given up for adoption and the legal ramifications involved. I can honestly say it was not something that I had ever thought would or could happen.

Highly recommended for fans of Chinese American historical fiction and also those who love a well told contemporary fiction with a bit of mystery thrown in.

Thank you to Netgalley, Jean Kwok, and William Morrow for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Highly recommended for fans

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: This was a very well written and pleasurable read--yet tackled weighty subjects. A young Chinese woman is deceived about her infant--told that she died at birth--and when she discovers that she is alive she illegally immigrates to the US to reconnect with her. The story moves very quickly--it reads like a thriller and a mystery. The characters are compelling and fully realized. The protagonist makes difficult and complex decisions about motherhood, her daughter, her marriage, her immigration status. There is a big twist which I did not see coming. Recommended.

This book was just ok for me.The first half of the Leftover Woman was interesting enough yet I found myself bored and not wanting to pick it up to read. Something just wasn’t working for me. However, around the 60% mark, I became way more engaged and interested in the story and while the “twist” was predictable, it did make me more interested in the story.

I found Rebecca’s character be very superficial and lacking any depth which made me disengaged during her chapters. Overall this book just felt really slow to me and I had a hard time getting into it. The ending felted a bit rushed and ridiculous too.

I think this book might be really great for some reader but I just found it dull. I do think it addressed some important topics but that wasn’t enough for me with this one.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and writing style. This book sucks you in and won’t let you go till you are finished and will stay with you for a while.
Journey of two women, two moms that are connected in an unexpected way yet you have sympathy and understanding for both characters through their very different life and circumstances.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Leftover Woman. The story was immersive and heartbreaking. The dual perspectives of Jasmine and Rebecca worked really well here - I was invested in both of their stories. I don't gravitate toward thrillers, so I was a bit apprehensive reading this, but the themes and focus on family hooked me.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Steady paced and well done

Jasmine runs away from rural China to New York with the help of snakeheads. She doesn’t have the necessary papers but needs to find a job desperately to pay the money loaned for her move. Jasmine hopes for a fresh start away from her controlling husband. She is in the city to find and reunite with her daughter, the one her husband gave away for adoption due to the One Child Policy.
Rebecca has it all – a flourishing career as an editor-in-chief of a reputed publishing house, a handsome and successful husband, and an adopted daughter. There’s enough money for luxurious living and designer labels. However, a scandal put Rebecca’s career in jeopardy, and she finds herself on the outer boundary in more ways than one. Soon, Rebecca realizes she needs to make some tough decisions if she wants her career and family.
What brings Jasmine and Rebecca face-to-face? What will happen when things go beyond their control?
The story comes in Jasmine's first-person POV and Rebecca's third-person POV. It is divided into four parts (not sure why).

My Thoughts:
I’m not sure why this is tagged a mystery/ thriller on NetGalley. While it does have a ‘mystery’, 99% of it is evident and too easy to guess. The book works better as women’s fiction or drama. Luckily, I saw the tag on NG after reading it, so it didn’t affect my experience.
It’s a short book and a quick read. Not everything is explored in detail. However, this works for me since I’d rather have character arcs do the talking than be hit on the head with the message. Jasmine and Rebecca are the main characters and they indeed carry the book well.
The book deals with themes like motherhood, immigration, love, family, acceptance, relationships, career, choices or the lack of them, casual racism, privilege, Asian fetish, etc. Even though there’s a lot of tell due to Jasmine’s first-person POV, it doesn’t get overboard anywhere.
We see the ground-level impact of China’s One Child Policy, and there’s no sugarcoating here (neither is much drama). I remember our social teacher in school creating a discussion around it and how a similar policy in India (Two Child Policy) would work in reality.
We also get a glimpse into the world of publishing, where appearances and persona matter more than maybe even talent. While I am a bit doubtful about a few things (after all, there are enough books in the market that shouldn’t have even been published), I do know that the stakes are high.
I’m not sure about Anthony’s track, but I’m not the one to say no to a bit of happiness for my characters. I just wish the ending didn’t take such a big leap, like our daily soaps, and tie up the loose ends. A few more pages would have helped.
I like Rebecca’s characterization. She represents millions of people in the thought process (even if they don’t have the same financial privilege). Be it white saviorism or inherent racism, it’s a part of society and manifests itself in different ways.
The bits about the differences in cultural aspects are well done, whether it is the significance of white flowers or the use of chopsticks. I could connect a lot with this since Indians, too, have to deal with similar apathy and appropriation in the West. There have been countless incidents of sellers printing our Gods on doormats, footwear, underwear, etc. Pubs have our gods painted in their bathrooms! 1-2 years ago, we had to write to a fashion brand about why they should not print our gods on their bikini collection. A quick internet search would tell them (that’s where they get the images, too), but nope, they still go ahead. The reason is quite simple – they don’t give a damn. I don’t even want to start talking about what the billion-dollar white yoga industry does.
The climax is predictable. I see some readers being surprised by Jasmine’s decision, but that’s the only way it would have gone (or maybe I saw too many movies to guess it right). I have a few doubts about certain plot developments (they seem less likely), but I’ll let it be since the overall presentation delivers.

To summarize, The Leftover Woman is a steady-paced and balanced read dealing with a multitude of themes. It’s not an easy read, but a worthy one. There are a few triggers, though nothing too graphic.
Thank you, NetGalley and William Marrow, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

TW: Mentions of domestic abuse, mention of miscarriage, hints of probable infidelity, mentions of abuse.

The Leftover Woman is equal parts mystery novel and family drama and follows two women as they navigate their relationship to motherhood. Told from two perspectives, The Leftover Woman alternates between Jasmine, a woman newly arrived to NYC and Rebecca, the publishing executive who has what Jasmine most desires.

This story has big Little Fires Everywhere vibes and deals with subjects around identity and motherhood that I think almost everyone would be able to connect with. I really loved how Jean Kwok didn’t shy away from some of the uncomfortable aspects to this story, and really forced the reader to evaluate how they would act in the situations that unfolded on the page.

Where the story lost me was in the execution of these ideas. While I’m a fan of dual POVs in mystery novels, the POVs in The Leftover Woman felt like portions of two vastly different novels, with one of them feeling much deeper than the other. They come together nicely in the end, but getting there was not my favorite part of the reading experience. This novel is also getting the TV show treatment, and I think the dual perspectives of this story will work great on screen!

The Leftover Woman is out now. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.