Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me The Family Recipe by Carolyn Huynh, in exchange for a review.
As a loud and proud The Fortunes of Jaded Women (FORTUNES) fan, I was so excited to receive an invitation to read and review Carolyn’s sophomore novel. The Family Recipe brings the chaos, drama, and hilarity of large-family antics, but with an added historical fiction subplot that is emotional and heart-wrenching.

The Family Recipe is a character-driven novel and is told from eight different POVs – the five Tran siblings, plus a few others that I will leave you to discover. For the uninitiated, I imagine this sounds like a lot, but if you’ve read FORTUNES, you know that this is Carolyn’s bread and butter. She is so skilled at taking a large group of characters and making each of them vibrant, realistic, and interesting. There is no “perfect” character – each struggle with the trauma of their personal experiences and the weight of familial and societal expectations, which shape their personality and decision-making. Sometimes they are immature, misguided, naïve, or cruel, but that’s what makes them real and relatable. Over time we see them reflect and grow, both individually and within the dynamics of the family.

Though I found The Family Recipe a little slower to start than FORTUNES, overall, I really enjoyed it. I think each piece of the story weaved together well and I think the flashback chapters were fantastic at showcasing the motivations behind Duc, Huey, and Evelyn’s decisions. I would absolutely recommend this one if you enjoy family dramas and character-driven stories.

Thank you Netgalley & Atria Books for an eARC ♥️

I loved previous book, "The Fortunes of Jaded Woman", and I was a bit nervous that this one wouldn't live up to my expectations. But, oh man, it totally did.
This story is like... have you ever had one of those moments where you're laughing and crying at the same time, and you're not even sure why? That's what this book did to me. It's about the Tran family, and their journey is just so beautifully complicated. They're all trying to figure out who they are, both as individuals and as a family, and it's just... ugh, it's so relatable.
I think what really got me was the way Carolyn writes about food. I mean, I love food, who doesn't? But the way she describes the Tran family's Vietnamese dishes... it's like you can smell the aromas and taste the flavors. And it's not just about the food itself, but about the memories and emotions that come with it.♥️
What I love most about Carolyn's writing is that it feels so honest. Her characters are flawed and messy, just like real people. They make mistakes, they hurt each other, but they also love and forgive each other. It's just... it feels so real.😭
Anyway, I'm rambling now. Just go read the book, okay? It's worth it.♥️

Family secrets and lies. The five Tran siblings- four sisters and one brother- all named in honor of the Beatles, find themselves in competition with each other for the whole of their father Duc's estate. But he's not dead, just off in Vietnam. And the four sisters, who are meant to revive his dying sandwich shop empire, are unhappy that all their brother Jude must do is marry to get the whole lot. The family lawyer Huey hovers over all of them as does the ghost of sorts of their mother Evelyn, who walked out years ago. Each sister confronts a different issue, a different love in a different city, even as Jude signs up to marry Phoebe. And then there's their stepmother Connie. This moves between perspectives and back and forth in time from the arrival of Duc and Huey to the US to the present. It's not an easy story, especially in the early years. It's all about family, though and it's wonderfully atmospheric with characters you'll root for. Oddly, though, there's never a good description of the Banh mi sandwiches even as there's a celebration of the seafood boil and other dishes. No matter- there's a mystery so no spoilers. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A great read.

I normally enjoy family sagas with a bit of mystery, but this unfortunately fell flat for me. Carolyn Huynh’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦 has an intriguing premise—five Vietnamese-American siblings are called to their Houston childhood home and are told that they must compete in a sort of game to inherit the entire estate of their father, Duc Trần, founder and owner of the Duc’s Sandwiches chain. Oldest child, only son, and directionless Jude must marry while the daughters—ambitious Jane, ill-tempered Bingo, shallow Paulina, and sentimental Georgia—are each assigned a store and need to bring up revenue. The first to accomplish their task within a year wins. With their father Duc currently AWOL, their mother Evelyn absent for the last 20 years, and almost nonexistent sibling relationships, the Trần children are determined to outdo one another and earn the family fortune.

The novel has multiple points of view—the five siblings and even their stepmother Connie. These are also flashback chapters told from the perspectives of their estranged mother and family friend and lawyer Huey. It was interesting to see the story unfold from so many viewpoints, but I feel that the constant switching of character POVs did not really give the opportunity for any of the people to come to life on the page. And it was hard for me to become excited about any of their journeys or curious about their family mystery when I did not feel emotionally invested in them.

The novel is decently written and touches on important topics like racism, depression, and generational trauma, but I struggled to connect with it. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

There's a chain of "fast-food" restaurants called Lee's Sandwiches. It's found in the Asian districts of several large cities, specifically in the "Little Saigon" sections. Their bánh mì is fresh, and they're insanely successful. It's one of the Vietnamese success stories that is referenced by parents (or at least mine).

The Family Recipe by Carolyn Huynh is the story of Duc's Sandwiches, a once-successful chain of bánh mì shops. Duc, the founder, is retiring and has called all his children (Jude, Jane, Paulina, Bingo, and Georgia) home in Houston to find out the details of their inheritance. Each daughter is given a shop and must revitalize it to its former glory. The eldest and only son must marry within a year.

The Tran siblings are all fighting their battles, and relocating to a new city isn't in anyone's plan. From Philadelphia to San Jose, the women must reconcile who they are and where they came from. Jude, the son, must grow up and try to find the perfect Vietnamese wife.

This is a deeply dysfunctional and damaged family. The generational trauma is HEAVY. There are snippets of the past - of how Duc's started. Following Evelyn, Duc, and Huey during their early days in America, living in dangerous cities full of hate and prejudice, we see that their life of luxury was not without pain and heartbreak.

Huynh captures the delicate balance between Vietnamese parents and children. It's not the super affectionate and loving household seen on TV—it's almost robotic. The strained relationships in this book are so familiar. I'm surrounded by sisters, and we all have our own roles—just like the Tran children.

I do wish we knew more about how Duc, Huey, and Evelyn came to America. There were slight references - helicopters, refugee camps, religious sponsorships - but more on that experience might have developed the older characters’ actions even further. I would also have wanted more from Georgia and her time in New Orleans.

These are messy people, sometimes even leaning to severely unlikable. In this battle for money, it's a journey to find a home, to find family, and to find themselves.

Carolyn Huynh’s writing is like reading about my own family. It's emotional, funny, and healing. Her exploration of messy Vietnamese families is something that very few people are able to capture, and she does it masterfully.

Thanks to NetGalley, Carolyn Huynh, and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book has A LOT going on with multiple timelines and POVs and, honestly, I was a little lost for most of it. I enjoyed all the Vietnamese culture and the post-war times in Houston with the clash between Vietnamese refugees and locals.
The historical aspects were probably my favorite part as the modern day family parts were very frustrating. What a dysfunctional group of people! I didn’t really connect with any of these selfish siblings. Yes, they had cause to feel abandoned and unloved, but they all reacted so outrageously and took on their “inheritance game” so carelessly I had a hard time rooting for any of them.
Overall I enjoyed the character development but there was only one character whose arc truly made sense in my mind, while the others didn’t always have a leg to stand. I wanted to scream: “Go to therapy, for goodness sake.”
The abandonment from their mother probably bothered me the most. I don’t want to give anything away, but that never came around for me. I understand there was so much trauma - during the war and post-migration alike - but the justification just didn’t land for me. Maybe it’s a cultural thing I’m not relating to, but I mostly felt frustrated by this entire family. It’s an interesting, quick read. I just didn’t connect.

Gods I loved this so much. What a rich family saga! There are a total of 9 character perspectives, multiple geographic locations, and past/present timelines. Taking all of those aspects into account, with a less deft hand this story could have been all over the place. But Carolyn Huynh weaves everything together with so much care, insight, humor and attention to detail. The plot drew me in and the pacing kept me fully engaged. I absolutely had to know how the storyline was going to play out. So many secrets! So much character growth!

The story begins with what, at first glance, seems like a ridiculous inheritance game among the five Trấn children. All four daughters are tasked with turning around a Duc's Sandwiches shop in a different city, while the lone son must marry. And they have a year to do it in order to lay claim to the family inheritence. What ensues is an emotional journey for all of Duc Trấn's children. Each grapples with their unmet emotional needs, parental abandonment trauma, and the varying shades of Vietnamese diasporic identity. Interspersed between the present timeline of Jude, Jane, Georgina, Paulina, and Bingo is the historical background and experience of Duc and Mr. Ngô in 1980s Texas. They face poverty, racism, alienation, and xenophobia, all while coping with PTSD in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The chapters set in the past build to a darker and more dark crescendo, adding weight to balance out some of the lightness and snarky humor woven in the present day chapters.

This book asks, what makes a family? What brings us together? What drives us apart? How do you repair a relationship after harm has been caused? This story shines a light on all the beautiful and messy parts of being a family.

Carolyn Huynh's "The Family Recipe" is a heartwarming and delightful novel that explores the complexities of family dynamics, cultural identity, and the love of food.

Set against the colorful backdrop of Little Saigon, the story follows the five estranged Tran siblings as they navigate the chaotic process of inheriting their late father’s successful sandwich empire. Huynh crafts a fast-paced narrative, skillfully weaving together multiple storylines that are both engaging and relatable.

The siblings are vividly drawn, each with a distinct personality that adds depth to the story. The heart of the novel lies in the exploration of familial bonds—rivalries, shared memories, and the challenge of reconnecting. These relationships feel authentic, capturing the warmth and tension that come with family. Huynh's humor shines throughout, adding a lighthearted touch to the siblings' misadventures and their father’s quirky inheritance plan. The witty dialogue and absurd situations offer plenty of laughs, while the deeper themes of cultural legacy and identity provide emotional depth.

"The Family Recipe" is an entertaining and thoughtful read, blending humor, drama, and cultural insight in a way that will resonate with anyone who loves stories about the dynamics, traditions, and cultural expectations of family.

I picked this book up because it sounded interesting. Duc Tran, the eccentric founder of the national Vietnamese sandwich chain Duc’s Sandwiches, has decided to retire and has set his five estranged adult children (one son and four daughters) against each other in order to get his money. The four girls have one year to turn run-down sandwich shops into successful business' again while the oldest, neer-do-well son has the year to get married and make something of himself.

It sounds simple in theory, but as this story unfolds we as the readers realize it is anything but that. As we follow the five siblings over the course of the year, we also get flashbacks to when Duc first came to America following the war, and met their mother, who disappeared over twenty years ago and none of the kids have heard from since.

I think this author shines in the characters. This book has multiple POV's (probably around 8) but never once do any of the voices feel repetitive or a carbon copy of each other. They are all unique and themselves and honestly I wished we had more time to spend with each of the siblings because the chapters with each of them felt too short. I loved the emphasis on family, and what makes a family, and how messy and chaotic it can be. Everyone in here is flawed, and human and I really loved that it ended ***SPOILER********with Evelyn making a real effort connect with her kids while telling Heuy she can't go back and be a wife to him now. Too many years have changed her. And Duc isn't there because this story was never about Duc. It was about a mother and her children. (hide spoiler)]

If you liked messy families, this is the book for you.

I had a hard time staying invested in this story. I normally love books about chaotic families but this story was slow moving. There was also the view point of 5 siblings, step mom and absentee mom. I felt like the shifting prospectives took away from the story and made it hard to get to know the characters. Towards the end I really wanted more from the siblings. This one wasn’t for me.

Thanks netgalley for a copy of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Family Recipe starts off when the five adult Tran siblings are brought together by their father’s lawyer to learn that their father has changed the rules to determine who will receive an inheritance, upon his passing. He determines that each of his four daughters must revive one of the family sandwich shops within a year, in different cities across the US, but if his son gets married first, it will all go to him.

The premise of this story interested me off the bat, namely in the unfair nature of these new inheritance terms. Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was a real character study, focusing on each of the five Tran siblings, as they uncover things about themselves in this experience and uncover long-held family secrets. Some of these plot lines did feel a little too tidy or too much like convenient coincidences but, if you can look past that, it is still a fun book to read. It is an engaging story that is light enough but, still filled with enough meaningful conversation and topics at hand, so as not to feel like fluff. I think this would be a great beach read. These characters are certainly flawed and the story is messy but, still heartwarming.

I would recommend this story to contemporary fiction fans and look forward to seeing what others think when this is published!

3.5
The flamboyant Duc Tran has made an incredible fortune from his empire of sandwich shops. On the eve of his retirement, Tran calls his five adult children together to, they believe, divide his wealth. Instead, he gives them a task. Each of his four daughters has one year to revitalize one shop in a chosen city. Whoever is the most successful will get everything. However, if Tran’s only son marries within that same year, he inherits all the money. As the siblings bicker and struggle, they slowly uncover family secrets and come to understand the power of breaking bread with one another.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

I was very excited for Huynh’s next book after loving her debut, The Fortunes of Jaded Women. She has a way of writing characters in the Vietnamese diaspora who are flawed yet still lovable and multidimensional. It seemed like this book was primed to do the same, and I was especially interested in the food component of the story, having recently been to Vietnam myself and still missing the food. Unfortunately, I ended up not finishing this book after Part One (31% of the way through).

My decision to not finish was mostly due to the structure—by covering so much ground with 5 siblings and the father’s backstory, the chapters felt rushed. Some of the storylines or characters being introduced felt too convenient, and it was like we were being shown the characters getting from point A to point B without any of the journey in between.

While I love a multigenerational family story and was interested in this Vietnamese family’s history in Texas, the pacing and structure were unfortunately not quite right for me.

Too many siblings, too many perspectives, too much going on. I liked the premise of this book but the execution just wasn't for me.

Three stars. A cute read, full of family dysfunction, secrets and some pleasant twists and turns . But falls too heavy on the pedantry of the Asian immigrant experience and usage of "trauma": "generational trauma," "cycle of trauma," "inherited trauma," sometimes within a few paragraphs and pages of each other. It would have been a much more enjoyable read without this heavy-handedness.

60/100 or 3.0 stars

I think that people will really like this one! I was never able to fully get engaged in the story or the characters, but I wanted to continue to see where the story was going and how it would end. It was just okay. I just didn't love this one, sadly.

I love Huynh’s previous title The Fortunes of Jaded Women. To say I was excited for a new title is an understatement.
The Family Recipe by Carolyn Huynh
I really enjoyed reading this poignant and heartwarming story.
These strong-willed characters have their ups and downs but would ultimately move mountains for each other. The story is full of humor, drama and has a wide cast of fiery, complex characters. This was an entertaining read about complicated family dynamics, Vietnamese culture and the immigrant experience and I highly recommend.
A wonderful multi-generational story of a Vietnamese-American family.

The Family Recipe is about rediscovering one’s roots, different types of fatherly love, legacy, and finding a place in a divided country where the only commonality among your neighbors is the universal love of sandwiches.

I really enjoyed this book along with how each of the characters evolved throughout it! I’m really happy I read this one since it wasn’t my typical book to read.

I loved the multiple POVs and the dual timelines. Carolyn did a great job on making it clear on which POV it was and which timeline it was on. It was very easy to follow and remember who was who since there are a lot of different characters to follow.

This book was very engaging. I definitely became very vested in all of the characters even if some of them were very unlikeable. It made it very hard to put down the book.

I’m not sure I fully enjoyed how it ended. I liked pieces of the ending, but I don’t think the ending was what I was hoping for.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy.

Duc Tran is a Vietnamese refugee who made a name and living for himself with his banh mi shop chain. Once he decides to retires, he contacts his estranged 5 children with a mission: be the first to resurrect the dying chain and be the sole recipient to his inheritance. Begrudgingly, his children reunite for the first time in years and take on their respective missions.

This was told in multiple POVs, including through the pov of Evelyn, Duc’s estranged wife who abandoned the family decades ago. It was also told across multiple timelines including when Duc and Evelyn arrived in the United States following the Vietnam War.

As a Vietnamese American and daughter of two immigrants, I felt very seen by this story. All of the characters were flawed and unlikeable in their own ways, but with the context provided their decisions and mannerisms became very understandable. I especially resonated with Jane, the eldest daughter. I also thought there was great commentary on mental illness in the context of generational trauma, a topic that is too often overlooked in the Asian community.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC! I highly recommend, especially if you are a member of the Asian diaspora.

I struggled to get through this one but the family dynamics were fun, interesting, and relatable. This might be a situation of just being the wrong time to read. I’d definitely try again at a different time to see if I enjoy it more at a different time.