The Leftover Woman

A Novel

De: Jean Kwok

Narrado por: Sura Siu, Caroline Hewitt

Recommended by The New York Times • Elle • Good Morning America • TIME • People • New York Post • Real Simple • Goodreads • LibraryReads • and many more!

An evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women—from the New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation.

"Intriguing. . . Kwok is a skilled writer of suspenseful family drama. . . . We root for Jasmine and Rebecca as they face impossible choices and emerge stronger for all the battles they’ve fought, always resisting becoming the ‘leftover’ women.”—Leigh Haber, New York Times Book Review

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth—another female casualty of China’s controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly risky decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She’s even hired a nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca’s job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it's a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city—separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child.

“A magnetic meditation on secret histories, motherhood, love, and how we show up for each other in the most surprising of ways. A beautiful, propulsive story!”—Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me

"A heart-tugging exploration of love, belonging, and the meaning of family."—Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl

©2023 Jean Kwok (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Narrators Sura Siu and Caroline Hewitt deliver gripping performances of this suspenseful family drama.... As secrets mount in both families, the narrators dial up the pace and tension.... Listeners will find plenty to root for." (AudioFile)

Compelling beautiful story

I really loved this book and wanted to know more about the main character and Anthony! Do they end up together. I would read an entire book on that. But I loved this entire story. Very compelling and sad.

Full of surprises

I loved this book, yet another written by my fellow high school alum. The relationships are well developed, the story engaging, and the narrators were a plus!  

The ending is not what I thought!

I really enjoyed this book! Ended different than I thought! Glad I found this book.

Great read!

Totally enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend. FiFi is a lucky girl to have the parents she has

Excellent

A wonderful story and great reader. I Look forward to reading more from this author.

Patience then WOW!

This story started out a bit slow, I stuck with it and it was well worth the wait. Loved the selflessness of these characters.

Just hang in there

Till the last part I was just intrigued how it will end. But also thought to myself that I don’t like any of the characters.
But the last part was so great, connected all the dots and showed all characters as relatable messy people. Highly recommend this book!

A great read

Has historical references, suspense, passion. A great story recalling the immigrants from China and those who came illegally and why.

Fantastic writing!

Love how the words painted pictures and made you feel the characters emotions. Great story. Worth a read.

Great Descriptive Writing

Overall, I enjoyed this listen. The story was engaging, and the characters were somewhat believable. I found the Snakehead references interesting as I hadn't heard that before. I cared about what the Asian women had to endure, not only in their country but also here in the States. I think the ending could have offered more resolution. it seems that many of recently published books rush through the ending while dragging through the meat of the story.
The narration was average, in my opinion. I think Jasmine's character was diminished by the way the narrators presented her, although Jasmine's accent was believable.
I'm interested in seeing where J Kwok goes from here. Her writing is certainly worth following.