What We Were Promised

Author: Tan, Lucy

Edition: First Edition, First Printing

Number Of Pages: 336

Details:

Set in modern Shanghai, a debut by a Chinese-American writer about a prodigal son whose unexpected return forces his newly wealthy family to confront painful secrets and unfulfilled promises. After years of chasing the American dream, the Zhen family has moved back to China. Settling into a luxurious serviced apartment in Shanghai, Wei, Lina, and their daughter, Karen, join an elite community of Chinese-born, Western-educated professionals who have returned to a radically transformed city. One morning, in the eighth tower of Lanson Suites, Lina discovers that a treasured ivory bracelet has gone missing. This incident sets off a wave of unease that ripples throughout the Zhen household. Wei, a marketing strategist, bows under the guilt of not having engaged in nobler work. Meanwhile, Lina, lonely in her new life of leisure, assumes the modern moniker taitai -a housewife who does no housework at all. She is haunted by the circumstances surrounding her arranged marriage to Wei and her lingering feelings for his brother, Qiang. Sunny, the family's housekeeper, is a keen but silent observer of these tensions. An unmarried woman trying to carve a place for herself in society, she understands the power of well-kept secrets. When Qiang reappears in Shanghai after decades on the run with a local gang, the family must finally come to terms with the past and its indelible mark on their futures. From a silk-producing village in rural China, up the corporate ladder in suburban America, and back again to the post-Maoist nouveaux riches of modern Shanghai, What We Were Promised explores the question of what we owe to our country, our families, and ourselves. Amazon.com Review Lucy Tan is a wonderful storyteller. Using smooth prose, carefully developed characters, and Shanghai set against the backdrop of greater China, her debut What We Were Promised brings the Zhen family back to Shanghai to join the upper class after twenty years in the U.S. We see this life through the eyes of characters like husband Wei and wife Lina, but we also see life through the eyes of Sunny, a housekeeper who sends part of her wages back to her family. Tan employs secrets and family drama to drive the plot, all the while examining themes of rich and poor, individualism and tradition, future and past, boredom and ambition. The real joy of this book is getting lost in the characters, some of whom will remain with you long after you have finished the novel. Lucy Tan is an author to watch. –Chris Schluep

Reviews:

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize Named one of the Best of Books of 2018 by The Washington Post, Refinery 29, and Amazon A Barnes and Noble Discover Pick

" What We Were Promised glows through its intimate, skillful prose. Tan's debut is a beautiful reckoning with the ever-changing definition of

"home" - what it means to have, lose and find family again."

― USA Today

""Charming debut novel. . . . Through a set of fascinating characters, Tan delivers a compelling story that raises questions about assimilation, family dynamics, and the personal reverberations of globalization."

― National Book Review

"Dramatic and deeply moving, this would be perfect Oscar material."

― Crystal Hana Kim, Washington Post

"Winner of Ploughshares' Emerging Writer award, Lucy Tan draws an astute portrait of a staid family thrown into disarray in this assured first novel. She does not explore the Tolstoyan adage of unhappy families, but rather throws a stone into the still pool of carefully balanced domesticity. With its measuring of expectation against reality, What We Were Promised showcases Tan's sharp eye for the intricacies of human relationships."

― Shelf Awareness

"Fans of Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians series will especially enjoy What We Were Promised."

― Refinery29

"A tightly crafted debut wrought with the measured voice of an expert craftsperson, Lucy Tan's WHAT WE WERE PROMISED is ...

EAN: 9780316437189

Release Date: 10-07-2018

Languages: English

Item Note: Great shape- pages are unmarked and sharp.Has a remainder mark. Hardcover Used - Like New Ships fast! 2018First Edition, First Printing

Item Condition: UsedLikeNew

Binding: Hardcover