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78 ratings | 7 reviews | avg rating:4.62

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Martin Rundkvist

743 books | 368 friends

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Suzanne Ma

Goodreads Author

Born

in Toronto, Canada

Website

http://www.suzannema.com

Twitter

suzannebma

Genre

Nonfiction, Memoir, History

Influences

Leslie T. Chang, Peter Hessler, Amy Tan, Jean Kwok ...more

Member Since

October 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/suzanne_ma

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A Chinese teenager's saga immigrating from Eastern China to Italy. . . .A sensitive writer, Ma expertly channels the yearning and base desires of her subjects through intimate conversation and cultural analysis in a narrative full of genuine compassion and appreciation. A genial, informative chronicle of the hopes and dreams of a Chinese immigrant.

(Kirkus Reviews)

Meet Me In Venice tells of the courage, hardships, and dreams of a new generation of Chinese who are leaving their homeland to seek fortune and opportunity in faraway lands. Suzanne Ma brings beautiful writing, compassion, and humor to the story of seventeen-year-old Ye Pei, who journeys to Italy to pursue her dreams of success and independence—and along the way, to make a perfect A Chinese teenager's saga immigrating from Eastern China to Italy. . . .A sensitive writer, Ma expertly channels the yearning and base desires of her subjects through intimate conversation and cultural analysis in a narrative full of genuine compassion and appreciation. A genial, informative chronicle of the hopes and dreams of a Chinese immigrant.

(Kirkus Reviews)

Meet Me In Venice tells of the courage, hardships, and dreams of a new generation of Chinese who are leaving their homeland to seek fortune and opportunity in faraway lands. Suzanne Ma brings beautiful writing, compassion, and humor to the story of seventeen-year-old Ye Pei, who journeys to Italy to pursue her dreams of success and independence—and along the way, to make a perfect cup of cappuccino. Ranging from the language schools of Qingtian to the mushroom farms and garment factories of Italy, Ma illuminates the contours of Chinese immigrant lives that are at once crucial to the global economy and invisible to the outside world.

(Leslie T. Chang, author of Factory Girls, former China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal)

At a time when China’s global reach is increasingly apparent, Suzanne Ma has crafted a fascinating and human portrait of what life is like for young Chinese migrants in Europe. Ma, who reports extensively in both Italy and China, has a wonderful eye for detail. She sits in on a Chinese cooking class called ‘Exit the Country,’ and she notes that a small city known for out-migration has posted huge ‘Welcome’ signs in five languages—but nothing that says ‘Farewell.’ This is a book for anybody who knows what it’s like to leave home.

(Peter Hessler, New Yorker staff writer, author of River Town and Oracle Bones)

Suzanne Ma has written a perfect little jewel of a book that gets beyond the vague big picture and into specific communities and real lives, richly rewarding us by opening wide a fascinating door into the world of Chinese emigration.

(Howard W. French, author of China's Second Continent, former New York Times Shanghai bureau chief)

Meet Me in Venice is a remarkable book, a reverse Marco Polo journey in which a dutiful Chinese teenager goes to Italy, not to find herself, but to support her immigrant parents' elusive goal of one day opening up their own business. This is a tale of hope and heartache. It is also an unforgettable glimpse into one of the fundamental yearnings of our age, the all-too-human desire for a better life.

(Jan Wong, journalist and author of Red China Blues)

The work of award-winning journalist Suzanne Ma has appeared in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Associated Press, The Huffington Post, and Salon, among others.

She has crisscrossed the globe, filing stories from cities across Europe, Canada, China, and the United States, where she was a reporter in New York City for the Associated Press and DNAinfo, a digital news start-up. A graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Suzanne was awarded the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, which helped fund her fieldwork in China for her first book, Meet Me in Venice.

Suzanne and her husband live in Vancouver, Canada. ...more

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Combine Editions
Suzanne Ma’s books

Average rating: 3.84 · 85 ratings · 18 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Meet Me in Venice: A Chinese Immigrant's Journey from the Far East to the Faraway West

3.84 avg rating — 85 ratings — published 2015 — 7 editions

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Suzanne Ma's Blog

9 hours in a recording studio… and we’ve got an audiobook!

In May, I spent three days in a recording studio in Vancouver reading MEET ME IN VENICE aloud. By the end of it, I nearly lost my voice. The studio space is frequently used by Hollywood actors who needed to re-do lines, and the talented team of technicians do a lot of sound mixing for films, TV series and […]

Suzanne is Currently Reading

Suzanne Ma is currently reading

The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot, #3)

by Peter Brown

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 27, 2026 08:35AM

Suzanne Ma is currently reading

The Tale of Despereaux

by Kate DiCamillo (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 27, 2026 08:33AM

Suzanne Ma is currently reading

At the Edge of Empire: A Family's Reckoning with China

by Edward Wong

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Jan 23, 2025 08:59PM

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Suzanne Ma is currently reading The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot, #3) by Peter Brown	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Suzanne Ma wants to read A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot, #1) by Becky Chambers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Suzanne Ma rated a book it was amazing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) by C.S. Lewis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Suzanne Ma has read Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1) by L.M. Montgomery	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2026 08:33AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Suzanne Ma rated a book it was amazing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2026 08:33AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Suzanne Ma is currently reading The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2026 08:33AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Suzanne Ma has read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) by C.S. Lewis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Suzanne Ma has read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Audiobook	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2026 08:33AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Sep 27, 2026 08:33AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Wild Robot by Peter Brown <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">