Searching for Sylvie Lee

A Novel

By: Jean Kwok

Narrated by: Angela Lin, Samantha Quan, Caroline McLaughlin

Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Instant New York Times Best Seller

Emma Roberts Belletrist Book Club Pick

A Read with Jenna • Today Show Book Club Pick

Named a Most Anticipated Book by New York Times • Time • Marie Claire • Elle • Buzzfeed • Huffington Post • Good Housekeeping • The Week • Goodreads • New York Post • Publishers Weekly, and many more

“Powerful.... A twisting tale of love, loss, and dark family secrets.” (Paula Hawkins, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water)

A poignant and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties binding three women - two sisters and their mother - in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears, and a series of family secrets emerge, from the New York Times best-selling author of Girl in Translation.

It begins with a mystery. Sylvie, the beautiful, brilliant, successful older daughter of the Lee family, flies to the Netherlands for one final visit with her dying grandmother - and then vanishes.

Amy, the sheltered baby of the Lee family, is too young to remember a time when her parents were newly immigrated and too poor to keep Sylvie. Seven years older, Sylvie was raised by a distant relative in a faraway, foreign place, and didn’t rejoin her family in America until age nine. Timid and shy, Amy has always looked up to her sister, the fierce and fearless protector who showered her with unconditional love.

But what happened to Sylvie? Amy and her parents are distraught and desperate for answers. Sylvie has always looked out for them. Now, it’s Amy’s turn to help. Terrified yet determined, Amy retraces her sister’s movements, flying to the last place Sylvie was seen. But instead of simple answers, she discovers something much more valuable: The truth. Sylvie, the golden girl, kept painful secrets...secrets that will reveal more about Amy’s complicated family - and herself - than she ever could have imagined.

A deeply moving story of family, secrets, identity, and longing, Searching for Sylvie Lee is both a gripping pause-resister, and a sensitive portrait of an immigrant family. It is a profound exploration of the many ways culture and language can divide us and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone - especially those we love.

“This is a true beach read! You can’t put it down!” (Jenna Bush Hager, Today Show Book Club Pick)

This audiobook includes an episode of the Book Club Girl Podcast, featuring an interview with Jean Kwok about Searching for Sylvie Lee.

©2019 Jean Kwok (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

A must read

One of these books you hate to finish!
Excellent narration , a lot is twist and turns

Great Listen

This book is so good! I’ve read other reviews about the ending. But I think it is perfect.

I also think it is a good reminder of mental health and how everyone perceives another’s life isn’t always the truth.

Great story

Wow! Just wow! So well written and such convincing performances on audible. The story is captivating to the point that I had a hard time getting out of my car because I wanted to keep listening. Just so good.

Tragic, but powerful story

The story takes many twists and turns. In the end, it is tragic, but a powerful story.

Needs more to reach conclusion

I guess this is why this choice is great for book clubs because there are so many loose ends, and perhaps disappointing emotional yanks. The narration was good, and the story worth hearing, but I’d like to see if fleshed out. I think more of the grandmothers and mothers backstory would be helpful; I can’t help but wonder if an editor chopped it out somewhere along the way. I’d recommend this book to a friend if only to have someone to grouse with!

A good solid read

I enjoyed the book and found the plot interesting. It held my attention the whole way through. I did feel that the ending wrapped up quickly. It was a good, solid read.

Well written with thoughtful plot twists.

Enjoyable, well written, with an unusual plot twist. All is not what it appears to be, for sure.

Mediocre at best

Storyline was average. Main reader was good but I could barely finish the book due to the narrator for Mom. There was a pause every 5th word even if she wasn't done with the sentence. It was SO hard to listen to since she was breaking up natural speaking flow. Will avoid books she narrates in the future unfortunately. Back to the story though, good start, mild middle, good end.

I wanted the story to end

I do not regret listening to the story; however, the breathy narration distracted me, and so many passages near the end were sappy. Rarely do I not recommend a book to others. This time, I cannot.

Captivating!!

This book is mysterious, intriguing, and it checks all the boxes if you like a little romance and the clash of cultures and generations.
It was captivating to learn what happened to Sylvie as you listen to three different narrations, all with different styles and points of view.
I had to rewind a couple times because Sylvie's voice was so soothing 🤣 but otherwise it was a great read.