I started Kirsten Chen's new novel Counterfeit on Friday and it was so engrossing that I nearly finished it in one sitting. Well-written and cleverly-structured, the story revolves around two Chinese-American women, Winnie Fang and Ava Wong, who become involved in a scheme selling counterfeit luxury handbags. As the story opens, it quickly becomes apparent that Ava is confessing her role in the scheme to a detective, while Winnie is somehow missing in action. Through Ava's confession, we learn both her backstory as well as Winnie's, with each chapter revealing more and more clues that help us eventually understand the course of events that led up to that moment. Later on however, the story switches to Winnie's perspective and I will admit that, when I read her chapters, I started second-guessing some things that had been revealed earlier (and that's all I'm going to say about it — you will need to read the book for yourself to find out what I'm talking about). The way the story was structured, plus the fast pace of the plot, definitely made for a fascinating read!
With all that said though, this wasn't just a superficial story about a counterfeit handbag business gone awry. It actually went much deeper than that, as it also explored recent social, political, and economic issues such as anti-Asian sentiment, immigration and the American Dream, racism, the strained U.S.-China trade relationship, etc. It also dealt with Chinese cultural elements (as well as stereotypes) in ways that were insightful and respectful, yet not heavy-handed. Despite some of the serious themes, there was a lightheartedness to the story that made this a well-balanced read.
In terms of character development, I feel that Chen did a great job with both Winnie and Ava. Even though I disagree with their actions and the decisions they ultimately made, I was able to relate to the struggles they went through as Chinese women who grew up in traditional Chinese families. Ava especially resonated with me, as I recognized so much of her family dynamic in my own — i.e.: the pressure to choose a "prestigious" career path that ultimately leads to wealth, even if it's not a career that I would want for myself (this quote sent shivers down my spine because it's almost verbatim what I experienced: "…in my family there were only a few acceptable paths—law, medicine, engineering. Law was the one I'd disliked least. From the very beginning, I'd known my lot in life: to be good enough at my job, and to tolerate it until retirement."); the expectation to be an overachiever in school (anything less than straight A's was frowned upon) and maintain the image of the "good Chinese daughter" so as not to disappoint my immigrant parents who sacrificed so much for their children to have such opportunities; the cultural significance of "face" and the huge impact it has on how, as a Chinese woman, I'm supposed to live my life (another quote that applies almost verbatim to my own situation: "…but when you grow up as I did, schooled in the supremacy of "face"—the figurative face, the image, reputation, honor that must be fought for and preserved at all costs—breaking free from constraints to think for oneself becomes a Herculean task."). One of the things I love about the reading experience is coming across characters whom I am able to relate to in some way (even if our life circumstances are completely different) and that certainly was the case here — this makes the time and effort spent reading this all the more worthwhile.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this "fun" and engrossing read, but more than that, I also appreciated the fact that it was a welcome departure from the "heavier" books that I've read lately. Immediately after finishing this one, I put both of Kirsten Chen's previous books on my TBR, though of course, I also look forward to what she might have in store next.
Received ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley.
No comments:
Post a Comment