It was how the world treated them that turned it into a curse.' A funny, sharp, and insightful look at family bonds and the effects of tradition on modern life.' You will laugh along with the Duongs, but you’ll also find yourself cheering for their reconciliation as they learn 'there was nothing wrong with having Vietnamese daughters. But first-time novelist Huynh also uses her gift for humor as a tool to tell a unique story about exile and assimilation, highlighting the perils of trying to bend newer generations to ancient traditions and the difficulty of reconciling culture with the messy truths of modern American life. 'Written with crackling humor and a shrewd, intimate understanding of Vietnamese American family life, the book is full of tart, broad comedy and farcical setups. It is your good fortune to have this novel in your hands” (Camille Perri, author of When Katie Met Cassidy). This prophecy will reunite estranged mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins-for better or for worse.Ī multi-narrative novel brimming with levity and candor, “ The Fortunes of Jaded Women pulls off the magic trick of being a heartfelt, multi-generational epic as well as a fast-paced, hilarious romp.

Mai is convinced they might drive her to an early grave.ĭesperate for guidance, she consults Auntie Hua, her trusted psychic in Hawaii, who delivers an unexpected prediction: this year, her family will witness a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son. Though Mai’s three adult daughters, Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao, are successful in their careers ( one of them is John Cho’s dermatologist!), the same can’t be said for their love lives. She’s divorced, and after an explosive disagreement a decade ago, estranged from her younger sisters, Minh Pham (the middle and the mediator) and Khuyen Lam (the youngest who swears she just runs humble coffee shops and nail salons, not Little Saigon’s underground). Oanh’s current descendant Mai Nguyen knows this curse well. It started with their ancestor, Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love-so a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Duong women would only give birth to daughters. For fans of Jonathan Tropper, Amy Tan, and Kevin Kwan, this “sharp, smart, and gloriously extra” (Nancy Jooyoun Kim, author of The Last Story of Mina Lee) novel follows a family of estranged Vietnamese women-cursed to never know love or happiness-as they reunite when a psychic makes a startling prediction.Įveryone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knew that the Duong sisters were cursed.

The fortunes of jaded women reviews