Review: The Expatriates

Since retreating from social media, I’m finally getting around to reading my extensive to-read list on Goodreads.

Book Review: Year of Fire Dragons by Shannon Young

Young’s memoir is the first of three memoirs I read (and reread) and mentioned back in July as part of a summer book giveaway.  Summer and the giveaway have long gone, yet a review, Young said, would be appreciated whenever it suited me.

Summer Blog Tour Giveaway: The Good Shufu, Year of Fire Dragons, Here Comes the Sun

NYC: Good Chinese Wife book reading, signing

Good Chinese Wife’s book tour called New York City home Wednesday night in the East Village’s 5C Cafe, around the corner from the Manhattan Bridge. Susan Blumberg-Kason read an excerpt, answered questions from some of the about twenty attendees, and signed copies.*

Goucher alumni from classes spanning ’54 to ’11

Review: Good Chinese Wife – A Love Affair With China Gone Wrong by Susan Blumberg-Kason

This post is part of the official Good Chinese Wife blog tour organized by Speaking of China. For more of the twenty four reviews, insights, interviews with Susan Blumberg-Kason* and the like, check out the list here. 

A synopsis of sorts: When Susan, a shy Midwesterner in love with Chinese culture, started grad school in Hong Kong, she quickly fell for Cai, the man of her dreams. As they exchanged vows, Susan was sure her life was perfect…until things took a sinister turn. In her eye-opening memoir, Susan recounts her struggle to be the perfect “Chinese” wife to her increasingly controlling and abusive husband. At first, she dismisses her own values to save the marriage. But when Cai threatens to take their son, Jake, back to China for good, Susan must find the courage to stand up for herself, her son, and her future.

When first approached by Speaking of China to review Good Chinese Wife, my initial excitement soon turned to uneasiness as I began to unravel the similarities between myself and Susan Blumberg-Kason.*