I really wanted to love this one, but I wasn’t a fan of the main character. That didn’t help the slow burn of this novel. However, I think it was a good book that was well-written.

“Gingko Season” by Naomi Xu Elegant and narrated by Cindy Kay tells the story of Penelope Lin, a museum curator struggling with her identity as a Chinese-born US citizen. Told in the first person, Penelope had been abandoned by her Chinese-adopted-American mother and raised by her Chinese-artist father in China. The story opens when she meets Hoang, an interesting young man who she feels is someone she could fall in love with. Going back and forth with her memories, particularly of her previous long-term relationship with someone with little chance of a stable future, her conversations with her friends and colleagues, we get a deep glimpse of who Penelope is. The story has a slow burn, and half of the time I felt the narrator was rambling, like we do when we are inside of our heads. But still, something about this book was very charming and I liked the character a lot as she came into her own person.

Many thanks to Net Galley and to the publisher for an ARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

This is a book which I found to be so true to life in its character development. The book was a bit slow paced but fulfilled the purpose.

Ginkgo season follows the slightly messy life of Penelope, a museum archivist fascinated by the Qing dynasty. Penelope is trying to find her way after an immense heartbreak from who she thought was the love of her life two years prior. That’s when she meets Hoang, an eccentric lab assistant who was fired for releasing the lab mice used in the studies, With her background baggage of familial trauma and heartbreak, will Penelope allow herself to fall in love again? Thank you to Net Galley, Naomi Xu Elegant, and Tantor media for letting me listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook. I am leaving this review voluntarily. I absolutely loved this book, and related deeply to Penolope and the struggle of figuring out life when it doesn’t go as planned. The narrator of this audiobook was so good that I binge-listened to this audiobook in one sitting. A book/audiobook you can’t put down, I would recommend this book to everyone, especially those in their 20’s trying to find themselves.

A captivating debut that was great on audio - honestly I could listen to anything that Cindy Kay reads. This one was interesting but I felt like it went off on tangents a lot and that prevented me from fully getting invested. I would try another book by the author in the future but this was just an okay read for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I read Gingko Season in both audiobook and ebook format (I love to switch off depending on what I'm up to on any given day), and this one worked especially well in audio.

Set in present-day Hong Kong, this introspective debut follows Penelope Lin, a museum worker who has deliberately kept her world small and safe since the end of a relationship two years ago...UNTIL a chance encounter with a man named Hoang begins to unravel the walls she’s built.

Penelope’s voice is what really carried this story for me, and Cindy Kay does a great job capturing her essence. Penelope is witty, observant, and quietly vulnerable in a way that feels deeply human. There’s romance here, but it unfolds naturally and never overshadows the richer emotional core of the book, like her relationships with close friends, her grief over her mother, and the moral friction she feels between her ideals and her everyday actions.

This isn’t a fast-paced story, but it’s beautifully layered and satisfying.

Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.

Reading this book felt like meeting a new friend. I definitely see myself coming back to it in the future, during times of melancholy or loneliness, when i need comfort, support or a little bit of distraction. It was thought-provoking while also remaining light-hearted and funny. I related quite a bit to Penelope. I also enjoyed learning about her relationships to the people in her life - I do love when introspective weirdos find each other.

The writing itself was phenomenal. I received the audiobook version, and recognized the narrator - it is Cindy Kay, the same narrator for the Twisted series. She was the perfect voice for Penelope and really brought her character to life.

All in all, I am blown away by the book itself but also the production. I am so excited to see more from Naomi Xu Elegant!

Sometimes, no matter how good a book sounds, it just doesn't come together, you know? This was one of those for me.

The book had a lot of potential, but it just never really got off the ground, in my opinion. I got lost in the wordiness of it all, as it was filled with a lot of talk and very little action. There were lots of phrases like "engulfed by lethargy" and sentences like this one:

"It is easier to believe you have been abandoned in favor of exotic swashbuckling than it is to hear that the maternal apostate now lives in Maplewood, New Jersey."

To be honest, I'm pretty well-read, but I'm not sure I'm quite smart enough to fully grasp this one. Or at least I don't feel like I am, as the frequent references to things like the Spanish Inquisition, Napoleon, world languages and the Qing Dinasty just kept me confused. I wanted to know so much more about Penelope's work at the museum, the foot binding and her family history!

I know I'm not going to love them all, but it's aways a bummer when a book just doesn't hit for me.

I was really impressed with a thoughtfulness of this book. The characters are so fleshed out an interesting. Penelope, as our protagonist definitely is reminiscent of a Sally Rooney character. Someone trying to find their voice and place in this world great debut!

Quirky, relatable, immersive, and definitely not boring. The characters and world keep you wanting to know and see more, and I hope to see more from this author.


Thank you W.W.Norton and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was just ok. Sometimes the storyline was interesting, but mostly it was very bland and not much happened.

I expected more of a plot-driven story, but once I adjusted my expectations, I appreciated the book more.

Gingko Season thoughtfully explores identity through Penelope’s experience straddling American and Chinese cultures. I enjoyed seeing how her dual identity shaped her views on friendship, ambition, dating, and what it means to belong.

Penelope is a deeply restrained Chinese-American woman in her mid-20s. We meet her as she begins to examine how she can create a meaningful life. Throughout the novel, she grapples with creating an identity for herself, finding value in honesty, and a fledgling romantic relationship. This is a quiet novel with small but important moments of self-discovery and introspection through first-person narration and concise writing.

The audiobook narration was easy to understand and follow. I appreciated that the narrator used the inflection I would expect during specific moments/events. The pacing was near-perfect, and I was able to remain engaged the entire time. Each character was vocally distinct. Generally, the narrator's tone fit the introspective energy of the novel.

The novel beautifully and tactfully handles hard questions about honesty in different types of relationships. We see this on display immediately when Penelope meets her love interest, Hoang, who has a much firmer opinion on the benefit of honesty. Penelope's struggle with honesty and having personal convictions changes during interactions at her job as a museum cataloger, her relationship with her distant father and neglectful, mentally unstable mother, and with her friends, who some might perceive as self-centered but are readily available to help Penelope when she needs it most. Penelope's character arc is mild, but we do see her find her footing when she realizes she has a passion for an important cause. We're left with the feeling that this new conviction will positively impact other parts of Penelope's life and relationships.

I appreciated that the relationships and conversations were both realistic and mixed with some of the common stereotypes we see for unreliable ex-boyfriends, artists, and people passionate about politics. This resulted in dynamic characters with full personalities.

I do wish that there had been more of a resolution with one crucial relationship. Penelope reflects on the loss/lack she felt without this central character in her life and it's one of the most heartfelt and emotional moments in the book. I would have loved a deeper exploration of some of the rare, big emotional moments that Penelope experiences. She spends a lot of time thinking and defining smaller experiences, but when these seemingly huge emotional outbursts occur, she doesn't dig into them.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and I would recommend it to other lovers of literary fiction who enjoy peeking into the full and complex lives of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. Thank you to Tantor Media, RBMedia, and W.W. Norton & Company.

#GingkoSeason #NetGalley

3.5⭐

Gingko Season is a beautifully written book about Penelope, a young woman in her 20s trying to figure herself, and life, out. As I listened, there were moments that I was fully immersed in the story, I loved hearing about her work at the museum, but there were many times I found myself struggling to connect with Penelope. I have a soft spot for character-driven stories, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.

With it's strong and lyrical writing and the universal experience of navigating your 20s, I have no doubt it will find many readers who absolutely adore this story.

The narration was exceptional; Cindy Kay did a stellar job.

"Gingko Season" offers a delicate, introspective portrait of mid-20s existence through the eyes of Penelope Lin, a Chinese American woman carefully rebuilding her life after heartbreak. Set against the backdrop of Philadelphia, this novel excels in its character study rather than plot-driven narrative.
What makes this book stand out is its authentic portrayal of that peculiar phase of early adulthood many of us experience—that period of obsessive self-discovery and uncertain identity that author captures with remarkable accuracy. Penelope's work cataloging Qing Dynasty bound-foot shoes serves as a fitting metaphor for her own constrained emotional state before meeting the refreshingly direct Hoang.
The novel's quiet, flowing prose creates a meditative reading experience that mirrors Penelope's gradual reawakening. The rich depiction of Chinese American life adds cultural texture without overwhelming the universal themes of friendship, love, and personal growth.
Penelope's friend group—those complex, sometimes frustrating companions that seem uniquely characteristic of our twenties—will feel achingly familiar to many readers. These relationships are portrayed with nuance and honesty, reminding us of that formative time when our friends were both our greatest supporters and occasional sources of drama.
While "Gingko Season" won't satisfy readers seeking plot-driven excitement, those who appreciate thoughtful character studies and coming-of-age stories (even when the protagonist is technically already "of age") will find much to savor in this tenderhearted novel about learning to truly live again.

Great narration! A perfect portrayal of Penelope. A soothing listen for a long drive.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars (Good)
Setting: Modern-day Hong Kong, primarily in and around a museum and urban neighborhoods, during the span of three seasons (autumn through spring)
Genre: Literary Fiction; Contemporary Romance

Gingko Season by Naomi Xu Elegant is a quiet, introspective novel that leans more on emotional depth than dramatic plot twists. I appreciated Penelope Lin’s dry humor and vulnerability—her voice felt genuine, and I found myself rooting for her healing journey after heartbreak. Her unusual job working with tiny bound-foot shoes was oddly fascinating, and I liked how the book explored the meaning of ideals, love, and friendship in an increasingly complicated world.

That said, the pacing was very slow for me. While Penelope and Hoang’s interactions were sweet, I struggled to stay fully invested in their unfolding relationship. There were stretches that felt repetitive or overly reflective, and I kept waiting for something more to happen. I expected a little more spark or tension, especially with the ethical dilemma Hoang presents.

Overall, this book has a quiet beauty and thoughtful writing, but it didn’t fully capture me. Fans of gentle literary fiction and introspective character studies will likely enjoy it more than I did. #netgalley #gingkoseason #booked_this_weekend

beautifully written, with a thoughtful and nuanced character study at its core. But despite the lyrical prose, I found myself drifting—it’s heavy on introspection, but a bit too light on anything actually happening. I can see why others might love it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Penelope Lin has been working at a museum, cataloging shoes from foot binding during the Qing Dynasty, trying to get over her first major heartbreak. Through a chance encounter, she meets Hoang, who is about to be fired for openly admitting to releasing mice from a research lab where he works. From there, things start to unravel for Penelope; as the seasons change, Penelope transforms as do her friendships and relationships.

This is Naomi Xu Elegant's debut novel, and I have to say that her prose was absolutely beautiful. It was reminiscent of Call Me By Your Name, with beautiful writing and flawed characters in a complicated love story that you want to root for. But that said, it just didn’t land as well for me. It left me wanting more depth to the storyline. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, though! In fact, Cindy Kay’s narration brought so much life to the characters. It’s just one of those books that you’ll need to sit with and reflect on.

Reviewed as part of #ARC from #NetGalley. Many thanks to Tantor Audio/W. W. Norton for the opportunity to read and review.

This review will be posted to Instagram @AutobiographiCole on or around the release date!

GINGKO SEASON was written very lushly, but also in a way that felt so easy, simple, and uncomplicated. I enjoyed reading from Penelope's point of view, but also got the sense that she didn't really know herself. I was wondering when we would reach some level of self-realization or personal growth, but that moment never arrived in full force. There were glimpses of growth, but thats it.

Gingko Season is one of those books that's hard to pin down. At times, I was completely absorbed, while other moments didn't quite land for me, largely because I struggled to connect with Penelope, the FMC. I usually love character-driven stories, but this one kept me at a bit of a distance. That said, the writing is undeniably strong, and I can see why this would be a hit for many readers. 3.5

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.