The Fortunes of Jaded Women

by Carolyn Huynh

For fans of Jonathan Tropper, KJ Dell’Antonia, and Kevin Kwan, this “sharp, smart, and gloriously extra” (Nancy Jooyoun Kim, The Last Story of Mina Lee) debut follows a family of estranged Vietnamese women—cursed to never know love or happiness—as they reunite when a psychic makes a startling prediction.

Everyone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knew that the Duong sisters were cursed.

It started with their ancestor, Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love—so a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Duong women would give birth to daughters, never sons.​

Oanh’s current descendant Mai Nguyen knows this curse well. She’s divorced, and after an explosive disagreement a decade ago, she’s estranged from her younger sisters, Minh Pham (the middle and the mediator) and Khuyen Lam (the youngest who swears she just runs humble coffee shops and nail salons, not Little Saigon’s underground). Though Mai’s three adult daughters, Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao, are successful in their careers (one of them is John Cho’s dermatologist!), the same can’t be said for their love lives. Mai is convinced they might drive her to an early grave.

Desperate for guidance, she consults Auntie Hua, her trusted psychic in Hawaii, who delivers an unexpected prediction: this year, her family will witness a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son. This prophecy will reunite estranged mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins—for better or for worse.

A multi-narrative novel brimming with levity and candor, The Fortunes of Jaded Women is about mourning, meddling, celebrating, and healing together as a family. It shows how Vietnamese women emerge victorious, even if the world is against them.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Audiobook, Romance, Fantasy, Book Club

255 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2022

About the author

Carolyn Huynh loves writing about messy Asian women who never learn from their mistakes. After living up and down the west coast, she now resides in Los Angeles with her partner and her chaotic dog. When she's not writing, Carolyn daydreams about having iced coffee on a rooftop in Ho Chi Minh City. The Family Recipe is her second novel.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priscilla sun | Elaine moon | Lily rising

This is the third time I’ve read this. I laughed. I cried.

When I first read this, I had never felt so seen. A Vietnamese American saga, starring women? Just for me?

I’m now friends with Carolyn, but the way she writes this subset of people is so very relatable for me. I got my mom and siblings to read it. We all loved it.

The premise is how Vietnamese families prefer boys to girls. Because a decision of an ancestor, this family is cursed to birth only daughters. I was originally horrified. But I understood. And I felt a lot of things.

There’s a certain amount of pressure you feel as the second gen. You’re supposed to do well in school. If your parents worked menial jobs, you’re supposed to rise above that and become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. There’s a hierarchy of success. Asian Americans are often called the model minority, but I think that hinders more than helps.

rep: Korean American, Vietnamese, Vietnamese American

tw: cheating, racism, yellow fever

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books

[jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is the definition of chaotic neutral. its over-the-top hysterics that are both endearing, yet absurd.

i think if you dont mind a little messiness, then this will be an fun, enjoyable read. for me, i enjoyed the dysfunctional relationships between all of the family members. i do think there are too many characters, which only increased the chaos of it all, but its a wild ride you kind of have to just go along with.

but despite that, i was still amused by the story, the curse, and the reconciliation of generations of vietnamese women.

↠ 3.5 stars

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an interview with Good Morning America Author Carolyn Huynh said, “If you love stories about messy women who never learn from their mistakes, this book has a cast of over 14 Vietnamese women who are all trying to find themselves while trying to navigate complicated family dynamics, and their love lives are even messier.” I was intrigued. Furthermore, I am not familiar with the Vietnamese culture in our modern-day world. I do enjoy learning about things while I read.

The story follows the Doung sisters, their daughters and their ancestors. The women have a curse placed upon them by a vengeful mother-in-law. When Oanh left a loveless marriage to find true love, her mother-in-law placed a curse upon her decedents that they will never find love of happiness and they will give birth to only daughters, never sons.

Now, Oanh’s four great-granddaughters do not speak to each other and their daughters, the great-great-granddaughters of Oanh do their best to not be anything like their mothers. The women will do about anything to keep away from their mothers. When one of the elder women seeks a psychic’s help, the prediction brings the women together.

This sort of reminded me of “Crazy Rich Asians” in that we get a glimpse into the current culture of the intergenerational families. I loved the gossip, the trips to the psychic, questions of who’s psychic is the best, and of course match making. No one is filthy rich here, it’s the intergenerational differences that make this funny. The squabbles, the jealousy, the scandals keep you chuckling. If you previously believed Asian women were meek and mild, your head will spin with this one.

What I enjoyed in this one is how Huynh shows the differences in modern American life with the traditional Vietnamese generations. She also delves into racism, specifically addressed to Vietnamese women. But most importantly, she illuminates the difficulties of the new generation to appreciate ancient traditions and continuing cultural ideals.

I chose to listen to the audio, narrated by Vyvy Nguyen. At times the audio was difficult for me in that she read it authentically. The tone seems harsh to me, but I understand that this is NOT harsh for Vietnamese. If you get the audio, which was done very well, be prepared for a bit of a strident tone as it can be a bit abrupt to a non-native speaker.

[Jenny Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much I picked it for the September Fantastic Strangelings Book Club read. So good. I was a little overwhelmed at first with the number of characters but the author does a tremendous job of keeping you informed. Heartwarming, funny, dramatic..I recommend.

PS. If you haven't joined The Fantastic Strangeling yet, what are you waiting for? Come hang out with us, you magnificent reader.

[Amanda at Bookish Brews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm absolutely in love with this book. I cried so much reading this joyful story because it's just done so well. Vietnamese women are chaotic, passionate, strong, and stubborn, and this book showcases them from every wonderful side. Full review to come but I'm positively enamored.

I just learned that this book is a September Book of the Month pick and I've never been so emotional. This book taught me that Vietnamese women are complex, nuanced, passionate, and so much more. This book showed me that I don't need to grow into my Vietnamese-ness, but that I am Vietnamese and that is enough. Thank you Carolyn for writing this beauty. It is one of my all time favorite books.

I keep seeing this book everywhere and it warms my heart to no end to see the amount of love that Vietnamese women put into this book to make it what it is today. This book is something we've needed for so long and I hope it can give to others as much healing as it has given to me.

-----------
Pre-reading comments:

Jan 16, 2022 - you can now request this book on netgalley!!! make sure to request it if you're the early reviewer type 💕

Dec 29, 2021 - cover reveal day! look at how beautiful it is 😭

Dec 28, 2021 - I'M BEYOND BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO BE READING THIS RIGHT NOW

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[Lisa (NY) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fortunes of Jaded Women takes a broad look at a family of Vietnamese American women who have been "cursed" so they can only give birth to daughters. I became dizzy with the number of characters - three mothers and several daughters and their lovers. Huynh zooms in on various women for short scenes but not enough to get to know them or always remember who is who. Hunyh writes about Vietnamese culture with a light, comic, occasionally slapstick touch. In spite of its flaws I found it an easy, entertaining read. Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me the ARC.

[Dusk · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know how there's love at first sight? Well, there's also hate at first sight, and “The Fortunes of Jaded Women” by Carolyn Huynh was a case of the latter for me. The moment the audiobook pronounced the name 'Oanh' as 'Oang'—two names with completely different meanings—I was instantly put off. The story felt over-explained, reminiscent of a soap opera, with flat, stereotypical characters. There were more than 10 characters to keep track of, and the novel mentioned fake designer brands 24 times. Like, OMG, I get it.

However, there were some parts I did enjoy.

One quote that stood out to me was:

“Daughters were unable to invite their ancestors into the house without their husbands’ permission. And bad husbands only meant that ancestors would be forever blocked from entering.”

It’s kind of funny to me, like the idea that living people can somehow prevent spirits from entering their home. ┐(‘～`;)┌ It reminded me of the popular myth that vampires can’t enter a house without being invited in.

I’m familiar with superstition and religious customs in Vietnam, but I'm not one to follow such beliefs, so it took me a while to fully understand that sentence. The superstition likely stems from ancestor worship (Đạo Ông Bà or Tín ngưỡng thờ cúng tổ tiên) and has been twisted to sound worse than it is. Despite my skepticism, it’s still a common belief in parts of Vietnam that daughters aren’t considered true children, and their names aren’t even listed in the family genealogy (gia phả dòng tộc). I’ve heard my mother’s friend say right in front of us that my paternal grandfather is without descendants because his sons didn’t have any male heirs. This deep-seated preference for sons is rooted in the minds of some older generations, and it's a sad reality that I hope younger generations in Vietnam will overcome or at least improve upon.

Even though the book had some redeeming qualities, the overwhelming presence of stereotypes and a lackluster plot made it hard for me to enjoy. The characters felt more like caricatures than real people, and the constant references to materialism felt heavy-handed. While some readers might find the cultural aspects intriguing, I found myself longing for a deeper and more nuanced exploration.

[Jennifer Tyndall · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could have given this book zero stars I would have. In a word, this book is insufferable. It is not a story of a spooky generational curse. It’s a story of generational trauma and grown women who blame everyone else for their misery instead of figuring out their own shit. Passing down racist mindsets, greed, and the constant idea that they’d be better off anywhere else gets old after the first 30 pages. It’s like the writer made each character the absolute worst person possible so for the purpose of character development, which barely existed by the end. Narcissism, ego, and entitlement are yet again labeled as “tough love” and “you’ll understand when you’re a mother.” There are some cute moments that are unfortunately overshadowed by everything else. In the end, the cycle of control, meddling, and insecurity seem to start all over again with a new generation. It’s sad.

[Trinity Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for the Dương women to take you on a rollercoaster of grief, anger, ache, but most of all, hope. The Fortunes of Jaded Women is a tale about motherhood, sisters, family, and the unexplainable bond between women who’d bicker day and night but still tear down the earth for each other. Carolyn wrote a stunning debut about the mighty Việt diaspora community, celebrating sacrifices, joys, and love—so, so much love.

Thank you for writing this book, Carolyn! And thank you for sharing it with the world; I’m forever grateful for your words and this story 🤍

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Featuring ~ multiple 3rd person POV, debut, family drama, Vietnamese culture, racism, a curse and a lot of cursing

I appreciated the note at the beginning stating how she wanted to make Vietnamese American Women a forefront to a story, since normally they are background characters in fiction. "Vietnamese women are happy, loud, stubborn, angry, dramatic and loving. We are everything". All of those elements definitely came through in this book at one time or another.

Family drama mama! There is a long cast of characters to keep track of that I can't even begin to name them all. It was a nice added touch in the e-book to have a family tree to help keep track of all the characters, however I wasn't about to go back and forth on my kindle, so a print form would be best to view this.

Overall, this was a solid debut that dove deep into the Vietnamese culture and how racism plays a factor in their lives. I am always happy to read about cultures I am not familiar with.

I was able to listen to the final version as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening.
Narrated Vyvy Nguyen by for 9 hours and 29 minutes. I think she did a lovely job and really brought the story to life, although it sounded like she was really yelling at me at times.

*Thanks to the author, Atria Book and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

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[Elena Lovestein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book however I got quite bored in most parts.

I do want to say I love the cover of this book.


The entire plot is just the women of the family fighting each other in every single chapter.
The book is written in third person which was kinda hard to follow, since every chapter was told in a different family members prospective.
I was just bored with the plot, they were always fighting each other and the resolution was rushed and i felt it didn’t resolve any of the drama in the entire book.

[Jes Vu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive an early look into Carolyn Huỳnh's book "The Fortunes of Jaded Women," which follows a family of estranged Vietnamese mothers and daughters who grapple with a psychic's prediction—that the family, all in one year, will experience a death, a marriage, and a pregnancy.

Seems simple? Far from it.

This book is absolutely a contemporary love letter to Vietnamese American women, exploring our complicated and even at times dysfunctional relationships between Vietnamese mothers and daughters and sisters all together. All these women are very messy, and that's what makes this book so glorious. Huỳnh executes the tone with such flow and whimsicalness with a side of humor, while capturing the bubble that is Little Saigon in Southern California. I cannot wait for the book to officially hit shelves in 2022 for all to read! Cheers.

[TracyGH · Rating 2 out of 5]

This may have been a better read for me if I had written down all the characters. 18+ characters and it was so convoluted.
I think that this will be a hit with most people but unfortunately it was too chaotic for me and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I found the constant fighting between them all a bit heavy handed.
At times I was at the point of asking the book,
“Can you please tell all of them to shut up?”🤪🤣😂
So based on the above 😄this was definitely not a winner for me.

[Donna Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh, is hilarious and oddly touching. It’s the best debut novel of 2022, and it isn’t as if there was no competition. My thanks go to Atria Books and Net Galley for the review copy; this book is for sale now.

Mrs. Mai Nguyen was born in Vietnam, but has lived most of her life as a Californian. When we meet her, however, she has flown to Kauai, the home of a renowned Vietnamese psychic. The psychic tells her that the year ahead will be a pivotal one, the one in which she must repair her relationships with her sisters and her daughters. There will be one wedding; one funeral; and one pregnancy.

Well, now.

Nobody likes to be estranged from a family member, and yet it happens. But all of them? Both sisters, and her daughters, too? (No brothers, and no sons, either.) But surely, it isn’t her fault; after all, there’s the curse.

Chapter four is when everything kicks up a gear, and I have seldom laughed so hard. Mrs. Minh Pham is the first to arrive, and she has my attention from the get-go when she slips the waitstaff some money and explains there could potentially be a “small, tiny, little shouting match, with a propensity for small, tiny, little objects to be thrown through the air.” Mrs. Pham is the middle daughter, and is accustomed to being the mediator in any dispute. She takes all the precautions she feels are wise; she parks near the door for a fast getaway if necessary. She removes the sharp utensils as well as the chopsticks from the table, and requests paper plates and plastic cutlery. “Mai had a reputation for throwing things.”

As the women arrive at the dim sum restaurant, they flash their fake Louis Vuitton handbags and immediately set about trying to one-up one another with regard to social status and affluence, and especially—oh yes, especially—that of their respective daughters. Within three minutes, a donnybrook ensues, and the other diners, who are also Vietnamese and well acquainted with the curse of the Duong sisters, begin placing wagers on the winner. The sixty-something sisters commence throwing things at each other and are gently escorted out of the restaurant. They head for a bakery, and they get kicked out of there, too. Finally, the three of them end up on a park bench, their hair and clothing in dishabille, and yet none of them makes any move to leap up and go home.

These are not spoilers; this all takes place within the first 17 percent.

The chapters change points of view, moving between the sisters, their elderly mother, and their daughters, all in the third person omniscient. The fascinating thing is, these crazy behaviors, and the ways that they mold and shape their daughters and their relationships, all fit perfectly.
Although the setting changes, from Orange County, California to Hawaii to Vietnam to Seattle and beyond, this story is character based, and that’s my favorite type of novel. The skeezy men they date—mostly white boyfriends with Asian fetishes—make it even funnier.

The ending is perfect.

This is one of those rare galleys that I may actually read a second time for pleasure. One thing I know for sure is that Huynh is on my radar now. I can’t wait to see what her next book looks like!

[CW ✨]

This was so good. Hilarious yet heartfelt with farcical humour that really captures how ridiculous generational family conflict and grudges can be sometimes. The generational trauma, and how it is often passed from mothers to daughters, and the tensions between modern, diaspora, traditional and class experiences resonated with me.

I loved this family of strong, feisty, broken, and lost Vietnamese women, and how they find each other and themselves in the end.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this one won't win any awards. It was kind of fun, and it passed the time. I think there was such a great premise. And the vehicle of the multiple narrators worked. Seemed like a step cousin to The Four Aunts and Crazy Rich Asian series. I think it was neither high literature nor tight comedy. Just a breezy light (pre) summer or dawn of summer read.

[b. ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was promised a messy vietnamese family drama set against the backdrop of orange county california and huynh delivered exactly that

looking past my positive bias towards the novel’s setting being the very neighborhoods/communities i was raised in, i loved how the sprawling cast of characters felt like home to me, a reflection of the complex family dynamics i’m intimately familiar with

while it’s true that there are so many povs that it can be hard to truly connect with one particular character, i feel that huynh’s intention is to have the reader instead connect to the overall emotion of the story, to sympathize with the cruel burdens placed on the women of this family for centuries and the sacrifices expected of them to ensure their family’s survival

there is, of course, petty drama and theatrics to be expected from members of a family long estranged being forced back into one another’s lives, but i never felt it took away from the heart of this story. even with all the pettiness, huynh never belittles or infantilizes her characters to the reader

i’ve recommended this to my mom, and considering the heavy focus on the fraught relationships between mothers and daughters in this novel, we’ll see if i come to regret that decision :D

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and easy read about the complicated bonds between Vietnamese mothers and daughters. Lots of characters to keep track of, but Huynh provides a family tree in the hardcover version which is helpful to refer back to when getting to know the characters.

A perfect 3.5, but rounding up for the author’s deft touch and humorous but loving tone in her narrative. A nice debut.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for gifting me a copy of this novel in an Instagram sweepstakes.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really really wanted to love this book, but it might be my most disappointing read of the year. So many chapters finishing on the cheesiest of cliches, too many characters lacking depth. It *was* entertaining at times but mostly felt like a chore to finish.

[Lia Yuliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 30/05/2022

Find my reviews on : An Ode to Fiction
Official Release Date : September 7th 2022
Buy the book :
Amazon|Book Depository

4.5/5 ⭐️

Everyone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knew the Dương sisters were cursed.

ARC provided by the publisher Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women is the embodiment of the good, the bad, and the ugly of a mother-daughter relationship, encapsulated within the pages of a book. A fascinatingly raw view point of familial love that is equal parts dramatic and emotional.

For the longest time I’ve searched for a book that can deliver that buzz from reading a good book that unapologetically tells a story about that personal and dear to the author’s heart. I also wanted to find a story that remind of that feeling of reading a story about Asian families. The last one I’ve read that fits this vibe I was looking for was Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Now I am happy to say that I found that buzz again in an ARC that is graciously granted to me by the publishers through NetGalley titled The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh.

Honestly, when I requested this ARC I didn’t fully read the synopsis because as a reader I always go into a book blind. What caught my attention initially was the words Vietnamese women, curse, and family. That was enough buzz words to get me to request the book. Plus the constant promotion I’ve seen from my fellow book bloggers and writers hyping up this book.

Before I continue on into the review I would like to spotlight the beautiful cover that highlights the story contained within the book done by Sandra Chiu and art direction from Min Choi. It is such a simple cover that speaks louder about the story than you might think and the gorgeous sea foam green really makes this book stand out.

Though the outside looked idyllic, the inside of the house was far from the promise of the American dream.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women is a story about three generations of a Vietnamese-American family, the Duongs, that is famous for their very public familial drama and curse that seems to follow them for generations especially the women. It all started when Oanh Duong that started this curse when she decided to leave her first marriage for love. All the Duong women since then are blessed only with daughters and never sons.

The story is told from the perspectives of the current descendants of Oanh Duong, starting off with the matriarch Ly Minh Duong and her three daughter, Mai Nguyen (the eldest sister) and her daughters : Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao; Minh Pham (the middle sister) and her only daughter Joyce; and Khuyen Lam (the youngest sister) and her daughters : Elaine and Christine. Though there is a fourth sister and eldest before Mai from Lyn Minh Duong’s first marriage that isn’t mentioned until later in the story, Kim Luong and her daughters : Lily and Rosie.

Mai and Minh’s daughters are all spread around the globe while Khuyen’s daughters still live within Orange County running her nail salons and coffee shop. While Kim’s daughter are the youngest amongst the daughters with Lily being in a different state and Rosie still living with Kim.

Was it too late to fix her relationship with her daughters?

As you can see The Fortunes of Jaded Women involves a lot of characters and perspectives. I understand that this can overwhelm a few readers but I’d argue the more readers progress into the story readers will be familiarized with the names and the colourful personalities of the characters. Each character have their own signature behaviour, personality, and sometimes tag line that shows their individuality. Huynh masterful skill in smoothly transitioning perspectives between each women makes it easier for readers to catch up on each character with no worry for confusion whatsoever. This is proof that this what makes the story succeed in telling a story about multi generational family.

Though there are a lot of characters in this story the book can easily be broken down to two halfs. The first half focused more on the second generation of Duong women : Mai, Minh, Khuyen, and Kim. The relationship between the sisters and their mother is the central focus of the plot. How the first and second generation found closure to reconcile after years of estrangement. The road to healing isn’t at all peaceful and calm. It takes a lot fights, stubborn arguments, and the slow painful release of pent up anger to get the Duong sisters to reconcile their decades long rivalry.

The second half of the story focuses more on the daughters : Priscilla, Thuy, Thao, Joyce, Elaine, Christine, Lily, and Rosie. The third generation of Duongs either yeeted themselves out of their mother’s grasps to a different state or country or stayed within their area code but is stuck unable to progress further. They are slowly pulled by an invisible magnet that once cursed the Duong women now bring them together.

“In true love there is no pride. Thích Nhất Hạnh”

Huynh weaves themes about family, love, and what it means being an Asian woman through the eyes of three generations of Vietnamese women living far away from their home country maneuvering through the ups and downs of life to survive. The resilience of these Viet women through their sacrifices, stubborn will, and unwavering love for their daughters can relate deeply for readers who are Asian decent as this story hits close to home.

Not to mention the multi-generational eldest daughter struggles depicted in these characters with all their emotional burden and expectations written emotionally hard hitting in these pages. Even though I am a middle child, I am the only daughter in my family, so I still know what it feels like to wear multiple hats to keep the family together.

This book also explores the views of Asian through the white male gaze as they fetishize Asian women for the colour of their skin, their origin, and their heritage. How Asian women are boiled down to mere traits, stereotypes, and a location pin that hides a sinisterly toxic skewed views of male masculinity. Huynh definitely did not hold back in showing how disgusting the views of men with yellow fever is.

Out of all the themes Huynh highlighted the theme that defined the whole soul of The Fortunes of Jaded Women is the mother-daughter relationships between the characters. The relationship depicted by Huynh is deeply personal and relatable. Each mother in this book represents a certain worry that comes with motherhood and the complicated relationship that reflects real life experiences only a mother-daughter would know. For me personally I see me and my mother in these women. Their struggle, fights, and love for each other mirrors mine deeply.

The family was together again, after several decades apart, and she was grateful to be alive to see everyone’s faces one last time. The women weren’t perfect, but no Vietnamese woman was.

It is very hard to put down The Fortunes of Jaded women once I started reading. The development of the characters and overall plot go hand in hand. I want to highlight a certain scene (without spoilers) that is the peak of drama and plot of the story. That chapter deserves legendary status. When I thought things were already bad it got even worse and worse which made it even more fun to read. I flew through that chapter screaming and cackling like a hyena.

The magical realism aspect is something that is familiar—the psychic—as it is something that I have witnessed among the older generation from friends and family in my lifetime. It gives the story that spark to draw me in and immerse myself because it is hard to predict what will happen when supernatural powers are at work behind the scene.

This time, this generation, it would be different.

Final thoughts, The Fortunes of Jaded Women is a brilliant love letter for Asian women and Asian families in general. It is a story that keeps on giving from the intriguing plot to the colourful and fleshed out characters (that are mostly women). For the longest time I have dreamed about a book that is like The Fortunes of Jaded Women and I am so thankful to Carolyn Huynh for writing this story. Seeing a representation of me, my mother, my heritage, and other Asian women alike in this book is just out of this world.

I highly recommend The Fortunes of Jaded Women for any reader, whether you like literary fiction or contemporary or fantasy, especially if you are from Asia or of Asian decent. From the plethora of characters I am sure that any reader will find themselves in the characters. If you’re looking for an exciting, dramatic, and emotional book about a multi generational family set in modern settings that focus on themes such as familial love, womanhood, motherhood, and being an Asian immigrant in America The Fortunes of Jaded Women is for you.

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

[Kirsten Mattingly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the author’s ambition in having fourteen main characters packed into one short novel. Of course, with so many women to describe, none of them really come to life and they all seem like stereotypes rather than complex or nuanced individuals. The plot engaged me well enough and I liked how the predictions of a psychic in the first chapter gave the narrative structure.

While I’m sure many readers will laugh aloud while reading, this type of humor (zany! madcap!) has never appealed to me. I dislike histrionics in real life and in books.

I recommend The Fortunes of Jaded Women to anyone who likes books with over the top characters and scenarios, and who enjoys stories with lots of characters described quickly rather than a few main characters explored deeply.

[michelle (magical reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

read on my blog

rep: Vietnamese-American protagonists and side characters; (Vietnamese-American author)

**I received an ARC from the editor of the book (thanks, Loan!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

From the moment I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. Multiple generations of Vietnamese women suffering from a curse? Sign me up! In The Fortunes of Jaded Women, three generations of Vietnamese women overcome their differences and reunite for a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son.

The three Duong sisters, Mai, Minh, and Khuyen, are infamous for their feud; the three women can’t even be in a room together without descending into chaos. When Mai visits her trusted psychic, she learns that her family will undergo three important events, reuniting the sisters with their mother and all their daughters, Priscilla, Thuy, Thao, Joyce, Elaine, and Christine.

The first half focuses more on Mai, Minh, and Khuyen. It was entertaining to read about their feud, and honestly, everything they said about each other, pettiness and disapproval, was so realistic. As they gradually overcome their differences, they learn to open up to each other again (of course, without losing the constant judgment!).

Their tense relationship with each other has also alienated their daughters. The cousins don’t spend much time with each other, what with their mothers’ disapproval and all. Mai’s and Minh’s daughters (Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao, and then Joyce) have all moved far out of their mothers’ grasp, but Khuyen’s daughters (Elaine and Christine) feel stuck in their life working for their mother. The second half focuses more on this generation of women and how their mothers’ past and continual meddling have touched their lives.

We follow each of these women throughout the story, which is a lot to juggle honestly, but I think Huynh does it well. As you grow more immersed into the story, it becomes much easier to differentiate each plot line, which are all very different anyways. There was also such a chaotic scene at the end of the story once all of the women finally collide, and I couldn’t stop laughing.

Depicting the complex love of Vietnamese family relationships, The Fortunes of Jaded Women was an impressive debut from Huynh. I’m excited to see what she writes next! I flew through this book and loved the characters. I definitely recommend The Fortunes of Jaded Women, especially if you’re intrigued by multigenerational stories about Vietnamese women!

original review:

stunning debut about the strengths of vietnamese women and mending fractured family relationships!

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐ (edit: rounding up as it's been weeks and I still think about this book)

This book is chaos and I freaking LOVE it! How can I not, when it has:

❤️ Family drama
❤️ Sprinkled with some prophecy-related suspense
❤️ Flawed, complex and strong women to root for
❤️ Complicated mother-daughter relationships
❤️ A larger-than-life cast
❤️ Savage humor (and characters)
❤️ Insight into Vietnamese culture and Asian diaspora
❤️ One particular revelation that took me by complete surprise

The Fortunes of Jaded Women explores some rather heavy themes but its overall tone and storytelling is on the lighter and fun side, especially with witty banter and over-the-top slapstick behaviour from the characters. This results in a compelling novel that's illuminating, enjoyable, balanced and relatable all at once. I loved getting to know all the mothers, aunties, sisters and daughters. I laughed with them, cheered for them and felt for them.

A terrific and unforgettable read that I highly recommend!

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Favourite quotes:

✨ "The unspoken language between sisters never needed to be translated. Even if they were always on the brink of war — either with outside forces or with each other."

✨ "I've never been able to physically or verbally express my love in the way you all needed me to... But that didn't mean that I didn't love you all deeply. Even when your backs turned against me, I still kept loving you all from afar."

✨ "The hardest wound to heal are with your own daughters."

✨ "Don't settle for the first thing that comes your way... You might not see it now, but something better will come along. It always does. It's okay to go into the unknown for a while, maybe even forever."

✨ "The women weren't perfect, but no Vietnamese woman was. Sometimes yelling and cutting fruit was all they knew when it came to expressing their love for each other."

✨ "Because despite the tumultuous relationship they all had with one another, between mother and daughters, sister and sister, the invisible filaments that bonded them was the same umbilical cord that kept the billions of starts together in the Milky Way."

And the savage burns...

✨ "Americans were so soft and doughy, like the inside of a bánh cam. No wonder they didn't win the war, Mrs Lâm would think to herself every time the social workers backed down."

✨ "Do you know how many mediocre dicks there are in the sea? Let me give you a hint: A LOT! There’s a reason why the ocean is losing oxygen; it’d rather die out than choke on any more mediocre dick."

✨ "Horny expats here are like STDS; they're the gift that keeps giving."

[Ming · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thank Atria Books for this ARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This read was quite good. It reveals how a curse affects mainly three generations of Vietnamese/Vietnamese American women, about 13 in total. Each character is distinctly crafted and well-rounded. They are vocal, strong-willed or stubborn, and entwined in their family dynamic. I immediately thought of Jeannie Mai from The Real (add her mother, Mama Mai too).

Dial A for Aunties also came to mind. But the meddling, drama, and antics that occur here are more intense (though there is no murder).

The first half of the book has an almost oppressive feel. The women are mean and bitter...almost needlessly so. There is much snark. They lash out at each other and nurture age-old animosities. Those of us from Asian families will recognize this dynamic which is on steroids here.

But then we see an unfolding resolution of sorts. Intricately plotted and smartly rendered, the book shows how the curse takes hold of these characters and how these characters can change their relationship to the curse (and each other).

Ok, and just to note that the Asian male characters, only supporting actors here, are diverse. Many are appealing. And there is fun-poking at a Kevin Nguyen "type," and an oppa (2 of them!). There is also some clever commentary about white men, "Asianphiles" or what we call those with "yellow fever." The characters snidely refers to one British man "William" and "colonizer."

I would readily recommend this book. I enjoyed the read and was satisfied with an ending that beautifully wrapped things up and wasn't pat or neat.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it!

Generational trauma and a curse compounded over years—asian mothers and their daughters, cursed to never have sons and therefore never return to their ancestral homes.

There was so much happening here, and instead of feeling disjointed and a little bit of everything without really doing anything, this worked really well! There is a HUGE cast, all with their own motivations and desires and lives, and it felt so real, and hilarious when this estranged family found their lives inadvertently criss-crossing in spite of themselves.

In addition to the love of mother and daughter and the ties of family, and working to heal old wounds while trying so desperately to forge a new path, never realizing that that new path is parallel to the one trod by your mother thirty years before...there is a sub plot of the fetishization of Asian women by white men, particularly white men who ONLY date Asian women (and act like they know more about that woman's culture—or other Asian cultures) more than their girlfriend.

[emilybookedup · Rating 3 out of 5]

i listened to this on audio and highly recommend doing the physical—lots of characters and hard to follow on audio! probably impacted my rating more than i realized but i was too far in to switch 😆

this did have laugh out loud funny moments and was so interesting to read about a topic i wasn’t familiar with. and of course, loved the family drama!!

[Fanna]

14.09.2021 author says this is her love letter to vietnamese women.

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. *Okayyy y’all I have some mixed feelings. There were things I absolutely loved about this book and things that just didn’t work for me unfortunately. Soo let’s break it down…

*What I loved:
•I loved being immersed in Vietnamese culture. The author is a Vietnamese woman, a lot of this story takes place in Little Saigon in California and is centered on generations of Vietnamese women. There was so much Vietnamese culture (generational ideals, food descriptions and the reality of being Vietnamese in America) and language in this story. It was beautiful. But the generational trauma was real.

•I also loved the sibling dynamics. As someone with 4 siblings I loved seeing how both generations of sisters interacted, related, failed and grew.

*What fell short for me:
•I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there were so many female characters and we read chapters/POV from every single character and that was way too much for me. Every time I was getting into one woman’s story, it ended and we switched to another perspective and would maybe only hear from that certain woman one other time. Granted it all wove together in the end but it was so jarring I never got in a smooth reading flow.

*Overall is still recommend!! Just keep a bookmark in the family tree page to keep everyone straight 😅

[mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Because life was always meant to unfold organically. Especially when the universe colludes with other spiritual forces at play; that’s when it collides.”

TW: abandonment, alcoholism, body-shaming, cursing, fatphobia, grief, death of a loved one, infidelity, medical content, miscarriage, pregnancy, racism, xenophobia.

A quick, short read about generational trauma and how our pasts can shape how we treat others. Nearly every character in this book is painfully insufferable, but - for the most part - you can understand/sympathize with why they are the way they are. There isn't much growth, but what does happen is heartwarming.

I will say, this is a short book that follows a lot of different characters. I found myself struggling to remember who was who and didn't have it completely figured out until almost halfway through the book (which could be due in part to my exhaustion, I'm not denying that lol.)

While I didn't really enjoy this (for a myriad of reasons, including the writing style), I don't want that to detract from the fact that there are good things about this book. There are really poignant moments in this story, and I'm glad it has touched as many people as it has.

[Catly Do · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Viet-American from OC (& as someone who has been on a not-so-great book streak recently tbh), I really really wanted to love this book.

Pros:
- Liked that I could imagine myself walking with Mai in Miles Square Park and knew exactly what Vietnamese stores the book referred to. Made me reminiscent of home 🤍
- Loved seeing Viet names and traditions represented!!

Cons:
- Genuinely felt like author went on the Subtle Asian Traits Facebook page and tried to cram everything into the book. Like the multiple “Kevin Nguyen” references killlleddd me tbh 😭
- There were A LOT of characters. I think the author was trying to fit as many archetypes as possible. The start-up CEO, the med school student, the artist that lowkey disappoints her parents, the international girlie, etc. I appreciated that everything was told in 3rd person POV (reduced confusion) but damn, I kept having to refer back to the family tree. Also, a lot of characters made it hard to go deeper with each person
- My main issue was that I really disliked how heavily the author leaned into negative Vietnamese stereotypes. I understand that the author wants the story to be realistic, but I also think it’s important to do so in the most culturally relevant / representative and neutral way possible. Therefore, I think the author’s constant emphasis negative stereotypes was unnecessary. Examples: cheap, loud, rude, aggressive, and superficial (and the stereotypes would be repeated and in a lot of detail sigh). I honestly hope this book is not someone’s first exposure to Viet culture because it paints us in such a negative light 😔