The Love Wife

Gish Jen
$17.85 $21.00
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.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 10/11/2005
ISBN: 9781400076512
Pages: 400
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 7.98h x 5.30w x 0.88d

Review Citations: Ingram Advance 10/01/2005 pg. 88