The Love Wife
The arrival of a "cousin" from mainland China, arranged by Mama Wong to serve ostensibly as a nanny, throws the household of Carnegie Wong, a second-generation Chinese American, his WASP wife Blondie, and their three children into turmoil. By the author of Mona in the Promised Land. Reader's Guide available. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.
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From the massively talented, award-winning author of Thank You, Mr. Nixon comes “a big story ... about families and identity and race and the American Dream.... Jen’s most ambitious and emotionally ample work yet” (The New York Times). The Wongs describe themselves as a “half half” family, but the actual fractions are more complicated, given Carnegie’s Chinese heritage, his wife Blondie’s WASP background, and the various ethnic permutations of their adopted and biological children. Into this new American family comes a volatile new member.Her name is Lanlan. She is Carnegie’s Mainland Chinese relative, a tough, surprisingly lovely survivor of the Cultural Revolution, who comes courtesy of Carnegie’s mother’s will. Is Lanlan a very good nanny, a heartless climber, or a posthumous gift from a formidable mother who never stopped wanting her son to marry a nice Chinese girl? Rich in insight, buoyed by humor, The Love Wife is a hugely satisfying work.
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