Loved this book. It beautifully captured that complicated feeling of identity—especially the dreaded ‘where are you from?’ question. I hated that question as a teenager, this coming of age story hit home— it made me think of my younger self. I imagine so many young women will feel seen and understood here. The book is a bit long, but necessarily. Every thread had its place. Love the surprises and generational drama.

This is a tough story, about a young Vietnamese woman who becomes separated from her baby in an American airport. Back in Vietnam, she never stops searching for her child. When, years later, she is able to return to the States, she makes it a point to visit each young girl who was adopted in that town, 18 years earlier.
It's a book about family, both biological and found, and he lengths people will go to find love.

This is my first time reading this author but since it was a JennaPick I thought I would give it a try. I thought it was an okay coming of age novel about two Asian girls with only one foreign parent. The beginning of the book caught my interest as a toddler was stolen at an airport when the mom looked away for a minute. The story fast forwards a few years and it becomes a story about two best friends trying to find themselves as they navigate adolescence. These “best friends” are not always friendly to one another as jealousy, secrets and economic status are important aspects of the story. Their moms are both controlling in their own ways as they push them in ways that they would like. The author uses good character development as they begin to mature and forge their own ways. It was a decent read which I would recommend more to teens. Thank you toNetGalley and the publisher for an eGalley of the book. All opinions expressed are truly my own.
#NetGalley #PamelaDormanBooks #EmmaNanamiStrenner

i

Slow and difficult to get into. I did not find the characters very compelling, but the themes of motherhood and identity spoke to me. Thank you Net Galley for this advance reader copy.

What a gem of a book. I devoured this in 2 days. The story is great and i loved how it all came together.

This novel weaves together three stories of mothers and daughters, all of which converge on each other one summer. The narrative follows: Kit, a privileged but complicated adoptee who longs to find out more about herself and her heritage in Tokyo; Sabrina, a brilliant only child of a single Chinese mother who relies on her for everything; and Mimi, whose daughter was taken in an airport seventeen years ago and was violently sent back to Vietnam before she could even look for her missing child.

What worked: Some of the prose is so incisive, it reminded me exactly what it felt like to be 18 the summer before college--both terrified and ready to start a new life; both longing to figure out who you're meant to be and so unaware of who you actually are. I was also loved the novel's sense of place--I could imagine Tokyo, Saigon, and Philly equally well. The heightened emotions of the characters worked well, and I think the story developed well, up until the narratives converge.

What didn't work for me: The dialogue, especially between the teenage girls, is stilted and awkward. It made the characters feel uninhabited. I also struggle with books where it feels like the author dislikes one of their perspective-characters. Like, why struggle to make us like and sympathize with Kit, only to turn around and undo all her growth, and end the book sitting in judgement of her. Finally, when the narratives overlap at the end, everything felt a bit messy, as though that was the least-thought-out part of this book, and the author was rushing toward a conclusion that did not need to be rushed.

3.5 stars

A sweet examination of the Asian & half-Asian American teenaged experience. The characters are well written and realistic - they definitely feel like teenagers, and I mean that in the best way! The plot is sometimes a little slow and meandering so I found myself getting a little bored occasionally. However, this was overall an enjoyable summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

𝕄𝕪 𝕆𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥 is a tender, introspective, coming-of-age story that explores themes of identity, belonging, and ones desire to belong and to truly know their roots.

Emma Nanami Strenner's covers many difficult topics in her prose - such as displacement, immigration, classism, motherhood/adoption, and she weaves the characters and these themes together with such nuance and care. The characters (especially Kit) aren't entirely likeable, but they are fully fleshed out.

The pacing is quite slow - this is definitely more of a character driven story than deep in plot. There is a lot of internal dialogue, and pondering, which fits the style of the prose. Readers who love intergenerational fiction focusing on multiple cultures will enjoy this one.

This was a very compelling story! The interconnected story lines and the unknowing of who the stollen child is and who the adopted child is while also learning about how they grew up and how the 3 mothers all were so very different gave me a sociological trip I enjoyed beyond words.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This one hit me in the feels! In ‘98 Mimi’s daughter vanished from the airport and fast forward almost 2 decades we’re met with 2 besties in PA. One of them believes she was adopted. Get the connection yet? I absolutely loved the characters in this book and the past and present narrating. It really tied everything together with the friends trying to find their true identities inside and out as well with Mimi who is still hoping to find what she lost. So many emotions in this book but such an important plot to be explored.

My Other Heart by Emma Nanama Strenner takes place in Philadelphia and Vietnam. It follows Mimi who's baby Ngan goes missing at an airport and was never found as pwell as two girls Sabrina who was raised by her strict but loving mother and Kit who was adopted by a well off couple.
The character driven story is well written with smooth flowing pros and well developed characters.
I enjoyed this from beginning to end.
Thank you #Netgalley and publisher for letting me read this ARC.

In 1998, Mimi loses her daughter in an airport in Philadelphia on her way home to Vietnam. Years later, Kit, who is adopted, and her friend, Sabrina, are getting ready for college during the summer of 2015. Kit travels to Japan while Sabrina works in a legal aid office for Asian Americans. The two girls have dramatically different summers, but both learn about themselves. Finally, 18 years later, Mimi is able to travel to Philadelphia to search for her daughter. Worlds collide, and lives are changed in a single moment.

I would recommend this book for contemporary fiction readers. I was immediately invested in the characters and the bonds that bind them. The author captures teenage friendship with the beauty of close-knit connections and the ugliness of superficial interactions. The bond between mothers and daughters is explored in detail from Kit, an Asian American, who is adopted by white affluent parents and cared for deeply. Sabrina and her mother struggle with finances and how to connect on a deeper level. The characters are well developed and show the depths of emotion and turmoil of young women on the cusp of adulthood. The anguish of losing a daughter and working for years to find her is Mimi’s burden, you can feel her pain in the novel. This is a beautifully written novel that I did not want to end.

Thank you Viking Penguin, Netgalley, and Emma Nanami Strenner for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

A very charming little book that makes a great beach read for a long afternoon. It was a bit predictable in so many ways but still enjoyed it. Good luck with the book and thanks for the early read.

A complex story packaged in a seemingly straight forward presentation. Two girls, both of Asian ethnicity, navigating life in America. One is adopted by white parents, the other is growing up with her Chinese mother. Both face very different battles and advantages and disadvantages. Meanwhile, a woman is on the search for her stolen daughter with only a list of Asian girls adopted more than a decade ago. So good!

This book broke my heart but healed it too. A missing child, two girls in search of their true identities--a stunning novel of mothers, daughters and best friends. I laughed, cried, screamed but walked away from this book knowing the true spirit of the human resilience. A must read!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A young mother becomes separated from her infant in a crowded airport. Seventeen years later, she finally has enough money saved to return to the city and attempt to find her daughter.

In 1998, Mimi was at the airport waiting for her return flight to Vietnam after a difficult time in America that left her alone with her 14-month-old daughter. When her daughter disappears prior to their flight, the language barrier and other obstacles result in her deportation back to Vietnam without her child. Seventeen years later, we meet Kit and Sabrina, friends who bonded in childhood as Asian Americans in the lily-white neighborhood of Philadelphia. As they graduate from high school, both girls struggle to find themselves, and they pursue different ways to move forward — Kit travels to Japan while Sabrina stays and works at an Asian American legal aid office. My Other Heart by Emma Nanami Strenner explores themes of belonging, immigration, and young love as it follows all of these characters through the summer. Strenner tells a good story and keeps all the plotlines moving well, but maybe a few fewer threads would have allowed for more development among the main characters. Her dialogue needs work, and the book feels very YA, but readers looking for an emotional coming-of-age novel about mothers and daughters, friendship, and belonging will enjoy My Other Heart.

In My Other Heart, a young child goes missing at the Philadelphia airport, setting off a gripping chain of events. The story effortlessly shifts between the Philadelphia suburbs and cities in Asia, keeping readers engaged with its well-developed characters and a plot that moves smoothly. This debut novel by Emma Nanami Strenner is highly readable and compelling.

A young child goes missing in the Philadelphia airport, setting in motion the events of the book My Other Heart. The story then moves easily between the Philadelphia suburbs and cities in Asia. The book was very readable, the plot engaging and the characters well developed.

I highly recommend this excellent debut novel by Emma Nanami Strenner,

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC in exchange for honest review.

#NetGalley #VikingPenguin #MyOtherHeart #EmmaNanamiStrenner

This book is a gut punch in the best way. It dives deep into the messy, complex layers of family, race, and identity. Mimi’s heartbreaking quest for her daughter, Kit’s search for her roots in Tokyo, and Sabrina facing her hidden truths are all so incredibly well-crafted. The emotions run raw and real, with a sharp look at what belonging really means, whether it’s about blood or something else entirely. The writing pulls you in and doesn’t let go. I felt every page of this.