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.

Ginko Season really took my by surprise. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting but the beautiful and prescient prose from Naomi Xu Elegant far exceeded anything I could have imagined. At once meditative and romantic, the writing and thoughtfulness behind this book will stay with me a long time. One part love story, one part found family, one part coming of age--this book has it all and is perfect for readers who look for reflective if not slightly metaphysical, thought provoking stories. It is also a perfect Asian American Heritage Month read. The narrator of the audiobook had a very calming, pensive presence and was authentic to the character.

This book easily deserves 4 stars. Naomi Xu Elegant wrote a beautifully written debut novel about finding your identity after heartbreak, it demonstrates beautifully written friendships that are messy and real. We have a protagonist who is completely detached and struggling with purpose.

For me this book really was more about the power of just having a village and less about being saved by romance.

This was a solidly fine book about a Chinese American undergraduate in Philadelphia around 2016. The most interesting part of the story for me was her research at her museum job. With as much as she interacted with her friend group she seems to know barely anything about them or much of what is going on in the world. Some of that could be excused by her youth but she just didn’t seem that curious about anything outside herself. The coming election as a backdrop could have been really powerful for character building…but nothing happened. The narrator did a good job, no complaints there.

3.5

While this story wasn't for me, I did enjoy the narrator chosen to tell this story. She was a good fit to voice the main character.

This story wasn't what I was expecting and while that can often turn out to be a good thing, that wasn't the case for Gingko Season. According to the description this story takes place over several seasons, but the flow and distinction wasn't clear for me.

I did enjoy the characters and the growth of the main character. I do wish there had been more with her job at the museum, which was interesting. This story does get political, but it fits with the direction of the story. The story also discusses situations of racism against Asians.

This might have been a better physical read and worth a reread. The author's writing was good, but the story needs a little work.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Throughly enjoyed this book! Would recommend highly to others.

Was very easy to connect and maintain interest in main character. The pace of the book was perfect and allowed for an introspective lens into the book.

Thank you for allowing me to be an ARC reader!

• still recovering from a breakup, penelope has decided she wants no more romantic connections, content to spend her time working at her local museum. when she meets hoang, a lab researcher who admits to releasing a bunch of mice from his work, she finds her life slowly unravelling. a story of reawakening & transformation, this book explores the nature of friendships in your mid-20s, and how living a life the aligns with your values is harder than it seems.
• while reading slightly more YA than adult, this book is full of heart. penelope is figuring herself out, and figuring out what it means to be a person in the world. i really felt like this book could have pushed these feelings further, as i was left feeling removed from what penelope was feeling & thinking.
• penelope’s narration felt quite choppy & disjointed at times, which i do think was intentional, but sometimes pulled me out of the flow of the story. i think the sally rooney comp set my expectations when this wasn’t really a good comparison.

Gingko Season focuses on the life of a 26 year old who is trying to find meaning and people she can live and love around.

I feel the writing is good. Well constructed sentences point you to themes of humanity and finding ones place in life. I loved the conversations surrounding motherhood, immigration, and navigating relationships. But there are also many passages that I feel isolate the book and corner the reader. It doesn't feel accessible. Our main character has many hyper specific thoughts and observations towards things that not everyone experiences. This is normal and happens in most books. However, I feel those sections lean very pretentious. They personally rubbed me the wrong way.

Our main character doesn't necessarily have a superiority complex, but she has surrounded herself with people who do. People who talk down to others and criticize people for not being as sophisticated as they feel they are. It's not a massive part of this novel, but it was enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I figure this will not bother most people. But friendship is one of my favorite things to see represented in books, and these ones feel like relationships I wouldn't want to support and people I'd work hard to stay away from.

Flawed characters are one thing, but damaging ones are another. Otherwise, I didn't have many problems with the plot. All in all, I would not go out of my way to recommend to most people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing an Audio ARC of Gingko Season in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publishing May 20, 2025