Cool language representation. Story and characters and writing were all meh. Saw the twist coming but it was still fun to read. But overall overhyped.

Well written. Character narratives flow together perfectly. Thoroughly enjoyed this one from beginning to end.

Kept me turning the pages. Good multi-generational story with an element of intrigue, some sadness, cultural nuances, and dual country settings.

4.5 stars

This is the third book of Jean Kwok's that I have read (only three written so far) and I have thoroughly enjoyed ALL of her books.

This novel was fascinating to me through the chapters told through the view of the different characters. I loved getting the different views from each thus providing their perspective. The settings of the U.S., the Netherlands, and Venice were fascinating. The writer has a luscious, descriptive writing style and this novel was no different.

My husband is an ABC of Taishanese descent so all of Jean Kwok's books help me understand him, his family, and his culture even more. Thank you, Jean!!

HIGHLY recommend!!

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and it hooked me right from the start. I stayed up reading as late as I could to find out what happened to Sylvie! This is a story about the damage that keeping secrets can cause. I loved the beautiful descriptions of both Chinese and Dutch culture. The author paints a vivid picture of how it feels to live in a country where you don't feel like you belong. The mystery unfolds as the story is told by Amy (Sylvie's younger sister who idolizes her), Ma (Amy and Sylvie's mother), and then Sylvie herself. Sylvie's narrative takes place during the days leading up to her disappearance and the other two are told after it's discovered she is missing. Each chapter added just enough to keep me reading until it all came together.

Three cultures collide in Sylvie Lee, 1st born of Chinese parents. She begins life being raised by her grandma and grown cousin in Holland, then returns to her family in the USA at nine years old to help raise her 2 year old sister, Amy. Sylvie seems to have it all, at least that's what nearsighted Amy thinks. When the sisters are grown and Sylvie married and apparently doing well in business, her grandma calls from her deathbed in Holland. Sylvie returns to see her grandma and then goes missing. Amy will not quit until she finds her sister. Well written

This book had me all in at 1st and I found it hard to put down initially but then it lagged for the last 25%. I had to find out what really happened to her but parts weirded me out a bit but I won’t get into that due to spoilers. This book was just ok.

I impatiently worked to finish this book just to find out “who did it”. I didn’t love this book like so many others; while I had great sympathy for the main characters, they annoyed me, too. I have little patience for the secrets of one generation poisoning the next.

Wonderful

I could not put this book down, and could not sleep until I finished it in one day. However, I didn’t love that the first two-thirds-ish of this book felt really real, but the last third-ish of this book’s plot felt unrealistic.