Now that everyone’s read (or read about) Kevin Kwan’s bestseller novel Crazy Rich Asians and are eagerly waiting for the movie to release next week, here are four book recommendations, which – according to avid book lovers – you may like if you liked Crazy Rich Asians.
First up is Sarong Party Girls by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan. Taking a derogatory phrase commonly used in Singapore to describe Asian women looking to climb the social ladder by marrying rich Western expats, the author weaves an engaging tale of a young Singaporean woman and her friends, as they navigate a glitzy world of glamour, revealing a highly stratified society underneath.
Moving on to Chinese diaspora in the US, many would be able to relate to Jade Chang’s debut novel, The Wangs vs. the World which narrates the story of a wealthy Chinese immigrant family in the US, who apparently ‘have it all’ till the catastrophic financial crisis strikes, forcing them to introspect about what they truly value the most.
For its part, Lisa Ko’s The Leavers, too, explore the idea of an American Dream gone wrong. Adopted by white parents, a Chinese child grapples with the reality of losing his biological mother while trying to adjust to a new culture.
Jean Kwok, bestselling author of Girl in Translation, explores a similar theme of cultural contrast in her new novel Mambo in Chinatown, which follows the story of a young girl Charlie Wong who’s spent her entire life in New York’s Chinatown. But a new job at a ballroom studio throws her life upside down and opens up a world she never knew existed.
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay