From the time she was a child Jasmine has known she was leftover. Born in a small village in China during the years of its restrictive One Child Policy she wouldn’t even be alive if her twin sibling hadn’t been a boy. Marriage could have been her way out, but instead, in Jean Kwok’s new novel, A Leftover Woman, her husband makes it clear that her only value is in providing him with a son. Years later, on the other side of the world, another woman living in luxury in Manhattan unknowingly holds the key to Jasmine’s happiness, even as her own life starts crumbling around her.

A burden to her parents, Jasmine’s worth only became apparent when she started to mature. Even then, they believed it to be fleeting and so married her off to a government official when she was only 14. There was love in the beginning, but after their first child is a girl who dies at birth her husband loses interest in her and spends more time in Beijing with other women. In her loneliness she snoops on his computer and discovers her daughter didn’t die, but was given away by her husband to a wealthy American couple. When A Leftover Woman opens Jasmine is in New York City, desperate to find her daughter and to pay back the smugglers who got her into the country.

Rebecca lives in a world beyond Jasmine’s imagining. The beloved daughter of a well-known publisher, she’s now one of the top editors at the company her father founded. She’s happily married and after years of struggling to have a baby, they have Fiona, the beautiful daughter they adopted as an infant from China. But a crucial misstep has threatened her career, putting her under intense pressure and scrutiny, so she’s had to leave more of the parenting to her husband and their new nanny, Lucy.

As The Leftover Woman progresses the plot twists and coincidences pile up in a way that detracted from the crux of the story. I’m noticing a need in many authors lately to layer on ever more ‘surprises’ in their plots and for some it’s necessary because their writing doesn’t hold up. There has to be more action or the story stalls. This isn’t true with Kwok (and never has been) so I’m more sensitive to it than I would be from another writer.

Kwok doesn’t need more in her novels. Her ability to portray the emotions and motivations that lie at the heart of her characters is more than enough. In this case, it’s the two sides of the coin that is being a woman in the modern world. She parses the differences in the two women without negating either of their experiences. Yes, physically Jasmine is at much greater physical risk than Rebecca, but Rebecca is so tied to her persona and learned behavior as to how she should act that it inhibits her ability to live fully. Both have much to lose in their own way, and this, the push and pull from so many forces, not the big reveals, is what makes The Leftover Woman compelling reading.

This ripped my heart out. I had to stop reading several times because I was getting so upset.
The author took me on a journey of a desperate Asian women who was forced to do unimaginable things. It was a good mystery-suspense that had me holding my breath. I felt sad and vexed by her unfair circumstances. Could I be as strong as her?
The writing made me care and I loved the ending. 5⭐️
Thanks William Marrow via NetGalley.

THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by Jean Kwok received a starred review from Booklist ("highly recommended") and was chosen as a LibraryReads selection for October. Another stunning text from an award-winning author, this novel portrays two women who grapple with gender expectations across different cultures. One, Jasmine Yang, is a poor immigrant from China who has come to the US to find her daughter, adopted by an infertile white couple. That wife, Rebecca Whitney, is an editor seeking to prove herself in an industry where her father was well-known and respected. Both need to better define themselves in their roles as wife, mother, artist, worker. In fact, Jasmine contemplates her situation, saying, "Back home, so much of my identity was mirrored through other people's eyes. The village I came from, the school I went to, my family name, those all had meaning in China. Here they stood for nothing -- all those details disappeared when you were an immigrant and suddenly all that was left of you was whatever you carried inside." Rebecca speaks to an author she is cultivating about "the price of ambition, displacement, and adoption. ... themes of motherhood, identity, romantic love, and race..." – all of which are reflected in Kwok's excellent prose, too. THE LEFTOVER WOMAN is a suspenseful read and the pace moves along as these two women make poor choices and must learn to find the inner strength to deal with the consequences.

I love it when a book ends up surprising me. In a GOOD way of course! I love a good family drama and this was definitely that, There was no shortage of themes in this book. Adoption, identity, love, race, ambition among MANY others. THE LEFTOVER WOMAN focuses on the stories of two whose paths will (and have to) cross.

Jasmine is Chinese and abandoned at a young age and sold. She's then abused, and forced to endure many losses. She soon finds her way out of the country, leaving everything behind in search of... More, More love and more life and also herself.

Rebecca is an affluent white woman married to a professor of the elite Columbia University. She's also raising her adopted Chinese daughter. She is keeping a secret very close to her heart and after ruining her reputation once before, she is afraid this secret she is keeping will destroy everything she has worked for..

This has definitely earned the right to be in the top for historical/multicultural fiction book of the year..It made me feel all the things a good book should make you feel. It broke my heart a little, but it put it back together.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked up 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 by Jean Kwok. I assumed the book was literary fiction which is partially correct but I was completely blindsided (in the best way possible) by the mystery aspect running throughout.

The story explores the role of motherhood and the relationships between child and mother both by birth and adoption. It also has commentary on the One Child Policy of China, a peek into the role of publishing, and the lengths a woman will go to reclaim her child. This book was a total page turner!

“In China, I’d seen posters warning girls of the danger of becoming leftover women, women that nobody wanted, leftover like scraps on a table, uneaten food, both a sacrilege and wasteful. Something that should have nourished our country, squandered and rubbish. Unwanted. Purposeless. Of no use to anyone. I was a leftover woman.”

This pretty entertaining novel proves that sometimes it is necessary to tamp down one’s skepticism with some of the plot line and just go along for the ride. Two critiques I must acknowledge are that the twist is really writ large on the wall before the big reveal and were I an editor, like the character Rebecca, I would have made the author ditch the word guffaw used twice.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is a captivating and emotionally charged narrative that held my attention for a few days, leaving me with a need to collect my thoughts. Apologies for the slight delay in sharing my reflections. 'The Leftover Woman’ follows the journey of Jasmine, a young Chinese woman who escapes to America to find her daughter, given up for adoption by her authoritarian husband to an American couple in New York. Facing the constraints of China's one-child policy, Jasmine's husband's actions are driven by his desire for a son to carry on his family name. The story unfolds through the dual perspectives of Jasmine and Rebecca, the American woman who adopted Jasmine's daughter.

The narrative subtly delves into the complexities of cross-racial adoption, skillfully highlighting the social and personal challenges associated with such arrangements.

Once I delved into the book, it gripped me, although it didn't precisely fit into the thriller or mystery genre due to its somewhat predictable plot and lack of intense suspense. Rather, it unfolds as a slow-burning tale with a strong focus on character development, falling more under the category of literary fiction with elements of suspense.

While the overall writing was compelling, I found some of the dialogues, particularly those between Rebecca and her husband, to be a bit awkward and forced. However, this minor issue didn't significantly diminish my overall reading experience. The book remains a commendable effort by the author, delivering a poignant and impactful narrative. Notably, the conclusion was exceptionally satisfying, eliciting a response akin to an enthusiastic round of applause from me.

Thanks to William Morrow for the eARC.
This an under 300 page story that tackles the complexities of motherhood and adoptions from the POV of two women. I liked how Jasmine's character gave an insight to how damaging China's one child policy was. She showed such grit and determination when it came to wanting to find out what happened to her daughter. Rebecca is an adoptive mother to a Chinese daughter. She was honestly harder to like - which shows how well developed the character was. The grappling with a career and family, I'm sure, will be relatable to many women also in her position. My only critique is calling it a thriller because I didn't find it hard to figure out where most of this story was going. Overall, this was a beautifully written, tight novel.

The Leftover Woman is a story that has it all: a compellingly twist-filled mystery, strong if flawed female characters, and social commentary- on class, power, abusive relationships, and life for immigrants (particularly how rough it can be for illegal immigrants), and more particularly a look at the lingering effects of China’s One-Child Policy. This last especially near and dear to me, as I spent over a year studying it in college for my thesis, albeit quite some time ago. I was grateful for the chance to revisit it, and for the window into some of the unimaginable ways it affected women.

While I will always recommend reading up on the Policy just for the sake of awareness, you don’t need to have any special understanding of it to read and be drawn into this story. And what a story it is! Culturally relevant and empathetic as it may be, it IS fiction, and Kwok excels at maintaining suspense and creating well-drawn characters. This goes on the “Will Definitely Read Again” list for me.

Thank you Jean Kwok, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

The hype over 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗙𝗧𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 is real, people! This fast-paced and twisty story about two very different women whose lives are connected in a surprising way packs a whole lot of suspense and emotion into 288 pages.

In the novel, Rebecca, a wealthy publishing executive, describes a books she's trying to acquire as "...an intricate, tightly woven story about the price of ambition, displacement, and adoption. Its themes of motherhood, identity, romantic love, and race are specific and universal at the same time." That's a better summation of what Jean Kwok has created than I can come up with. (Side note: I love a publishing storyline and how meta the talk about that book is!) I know I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thanks to William Morrow Books for the copy to review.

Jasmine came to the United States from China, where there is a one-child-policy. She remembers “in China, I’d seen posters warning girls of the danger of becoming leftover women, women that no one wanted…..unwanted, purposeless, of no use to anyone.” She continues, “I was a leftover woman.”
We also read about Rebecca, a wealthy career woman in New York.
Thanks to Netgalley for this unusual read.

Jean Kwok has written a compelling novel about two strong women interconnected through a young girl. Told in alternating points of view, we hear the stories of Jasmine and Rebecca.

Jasmine flees China and her controlling husband to escape to New York City in hopes of reconnecting with her daughter. In keeping with the One Child Policy in China, her husband facilitated the adoption of their daughter without Jasmine’s knowledge. With him hot on her trail and no immigration papers to find employment, Jasmine makes some desperate and risky choices.

Rebecca’s background is completely different. The daughter of a well known publishing executive and from a wealthy family, Rebecca seems to have it all: a powerful publishing career, a loving marriage and a beautiful adopted daughter. When Rebecca hires a nanny to help with childcare while also exposing her daughter to her Chinese culture, the two women’s worlds collide. Rebecca is faced with an industry scandal that calls into question her marriage and her role in the family.

Kwok tells about the immigrant experience with realistic detail. Tension builds and cliff hangers propel the reader through this gripping family drama. Fans of Amy Tan and readers of Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere will enjoy The Leftover Woman. The emotional and suspenseful pace of the novel creates a highly entertaining and fast paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this title before its release.

A story of two women,Jasmine a Chinese immigrant and Rebecca a wealthy white women,and the child they both love. Told with alternating povs it’s easy to see where this is going but there are still a few surprises in store.
Most touching is how Kwok shows the racial discrimination and disregard that are pervasive in American culture. She also allows you to come to understand both women- no bad guys here.
Yet there are still villains and power brokers deserving of comeuppance. Good story, reading thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow.

I read a few chapters and just wasn't pulled in... I found myself not wanting to pick the book back up or really caring necessarily about what was going to happen next.

This story centers around Jasmine, a young Chinese girl who is given in marriage to an older man named Wen. Unwanted by her family, as she is female and not a male, she hopes she will find love in this marriage. At first she thinks Wen loves her, but soon realizes to him she is just a possession. When his acts turn violent towards her, and she discovers a secret he has kept from her, she knows she must escape to America - to "the beautiful land". She begins work as a nanny to an affluent couple's 5 year old adopted Chinese daughter. But when Wen tracks her down, she knows she must act fast to save all she loves.

A definite page=turner with enough turns to keep you guessing, at its heart, this is a story of hope, and what one will do to protect all he/she holds dear. Highly recommend! Thanks to Netgalley for ARC of this book; all opinions are my own.

I loved the writing! This story grabbed my attention immediately and pulled me in. I loved the element of mystery and how the two women connected in the end.

“As I turned to leave, I caught sight of a flushed and wild-eyed woman, hair disheveled. I froze. She was raw, visceral, determined. She was a weapon and she frightened me. She raised a hand to her lips. Then I understood. I was looking at a mirrored wall. That woman was me.”

The Leftover Woman is beautifully written story of immigration and motherhood. This book is told from the perspectives of two women: Rebecca, a book editor and mother who was born into privilege, and Jasmine, an undocumented immigrant who came to America with deep secrets and a past she is hiding from.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. The writing was fast paced, and while I would consider it to be contemporary fiction, some parts contained all the excitement of a thriller. The ending was absolutely explosive and had me in tears. Jean Kwok is an extremely gifted writer— I read and loved Girl in Translation over 10 years ago and have been a fan her work ever since. I encourage everyone to pick up a copy of The Leftover Woman- this was one of my favorite books of 2023!

A sincere thank you to netgalley and William Morrow for providing me with this electronic arc of The Leftover Woman in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a captivating and powerful story! I was immediately hooked but the stories of these two woman, and loved the themes of the power of motherhood and past secrets that don’t stay buried. Jean Kwok did a beautiful job representing both women, while also highlighting important themes such as race, gender, and culture. I absolutely loved it!

Wow – this was such a compelling read. The chapters switching POVs between Jasmine and Rebecca really highlighted the stark differences in their lives both economically and culturally. It truly felt like two totally separate stories could have been told about each woman were it not for the connecting factor. I also appreciated that the author addressed the racism that the child experiences – particularly given that she does not look like her adopted parents. I felt it humanized (and humbled) Rebecca that in some instances she could get it right in her defence of her daughter while other times she may freeze up, not knowing how to respond to an unfamiliar situation she’s never had to experience herself before. With Rebecca, I could feel the conflicting pull of two sides: The genuine and the performative.

Of course, I have also heard of China’s controversial One Child policy before but perhaps never truly considered what that looked like for families other than that sons are the favoured ones. I appreciated the way that it was framed within this story to illustrate some of the repercussions it could have had – and likely did, more than we even realized. Shockingly, this policy only ended relatively recently (just 8 years ago at the time of this review!). For me, that puts the novel in a bit of a different light, since there were moments of this that felt like it took place a long time ago but then the characters would mention their cell phones, which set the story in more of a (sobering) modern day.

While The Leftover Woman has strong themes of motherhood and the lengths parents would go to protect their child, this book wasn’t “just” a family drama either. There were elements of organized crime, romance and scandal as well. As the story progresses, the lives of these two women intersect in a shocking yet satisfying way. Even in the few moments where I called what was going to happen, I still found it a gratifying way the narrative played out. I’m definitely a new fan of Jean Kwok’s writing now and look forward to reading her other books. Great for fans of Celeste Ng and Nancy Jooyoun Kim!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Jean Kwok in exchange for my honest review - 5 stars!

Jasmine escaped her abusive husband and traveled to NY in hopes of finding her daughter, who was taken from her at birth. Now she is deep in debt to the snakeheads who helped her flee, and the only job she can find is working in a strip club. She does have a chance encounter with her best friend from China, Anthony, and begins to feel somewhat hopeful. Rebecca is living large - she works as an editor, has a successful husband, and a daughter that they adopted from China. But things start going very wrong for her when she tries to sign an important author.

In China, leftover women are ones that no one wanted; they are purposeless and of use to no one. Jasmine felt like this and felt that she was not in control of any part of her life. Rebecca questions her role in her family - she has put her career ahead of her child and left much to her nanny. The story is told from the viewpoints of both of these women, at opposite ends of the economic spectrum, and explores identify and belonging, as well as defining motherhood and family. It is beautifully written and I felt so engaged with both these women and their plights. It was very atmospheric, from a small Chinese village to a Chinatown strip club to the high-powered publishing world. Highly recommended!