The Fortunes of Jaded Women: A Novel

by Carolyn Huynh

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL-GOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR

For fans of Amy Tan, KJ Dell’Antonia, and Kevin Kwan, this “sharp, smart, and gloriously extra” (Nancy Jooyoun Kim, author of The Last Story of Mina Lee) debut celebrates a family of estranged Vietnamese women who experiences mishaps and unexpected joy after a psychic makes a startling prediction about their lives.

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.

• ISBN10: 1982188758
• ISBN13: 9781982188757
• Publish Date: 6 September 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

This book follows three generations of Vietnamese women as they navigate life straddling both East and West cultures. At its heart are the often complicated relationships between not only the generations, but between sisters, between cousins. The story also explored how the younger generation may not always appreciate cultural traditions and ideals.

The author refers to her characters as “messy,” and this is true. But that’s also what makes them feel real, as they live between Vietnamese culture and American. Huynh wraps the messiness, and some very real and deep issues, with real emotion as well as humor and even some magical whimsy.

The theme of generational trauma is very much at the center of this book, and with it some same-race discrimination and misogynistic ideals. Some of the mothers within the middle generation speak to the former, warning their daughters against marrying Vietnamese men. Many of the mothers also express disappointment at having daughters rather than sons, as giving birth to sons is preferable over daughters. The ironic side of this is that it is the daughters who later care for the elders. There is racism, too, especially among the younger generation. There are many moments during which they are treated as if all Asians are the same. There is also a character who clearly fetishizes Asian women in an extremely uncomfortable way.

But while there are many moments that are deep and intense, there are also just as many moments that are tender and sweet, funny and hopeful, and, yes, sad. It’s a book that brings a culture to life, and that is utterly engrossing.

[Quirky Cat]

The Fortunes of Jaded Women was one of my three picks for September's BOTM. Once again, I'm pleased about this selection, as it got me to pick something slightly outside of my normal picks. This is the tale of one family, several generations, all cursed.

Oanh decided to leave her family, which started the curse. Her (now ex) mother-in-law felt it appropriate to punish the woman for falling in love (the horror!). The curse? For Oanh and every woman in her family to only ever have daughters.

A few generations later, the curse is still going strong. Mai Nguyen had three daughters, and now she constantly worries about their fate. When a fortune teller informs her that she must make amends with her family, she will – but it will be far from an easy task, as there is much trauma and tension between every generation.

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

If you love family drama (that happens to be full of generational trauma), check out The Fortunes of Jaded Women. Ironically, this is one of two books I've read this month that covered a similar theme. Out of the two, this one was more akin to fantasy and magic, while the other leaned more toward science fiction.

To say that this novel was full of characters would be an understatement. We have several generations of women, each with her own daughters. It's a lot to keep up with, but thankfully there's a family tree at the beginning of the book! I relied heavily on that tree for the first third of the book (I'm horrible at names), but after a while, everyone found a place in my head, making the read much more intuitive.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women is a complex and rich read, and boy, is it not afraid to touch upon every emotion. There's anger, grief, happiness, guilt, etc. Once again, it makes for a lot to take in, but I personally really enjoyed the complex web that Carolyn Huynh wove.

There are times where The Fortunes of Jaded Women felt a little slow. However, all of that is paid back tenfold by the end! I was laughing at points, which is always a delight. All things said and done; I would highly recommend this to any curious reader.

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[Terri M. LeBlanc]

This book was so fun to read. I loved the family dynamic between sisters and cousins. The insight into the Vietnamese culture was a learning experience for me, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Definitely some laugh out loud moments, combined with heartwarming scenes of true family love.

I receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.