Who Would Like This Book:
If you enjoy sharp, witty family sagas and the messiness of inheritance drama, you'll find a lot to savor in Family Trust. Kathy Wang crafts a juicy portrait of a Silicon Valley Taiwanese-American family grappling with ambition, cultural pressures, and the allure (and pitfalls) of wealth. The book gives a fresh and sometimes satirical peek into both immigrant experiences and the status-obsessed tech world. Fans of character-driven stories, The Nest, or Crazy Rich Asians - but with more nuance and bite - will be hooked. This one is especially appealing if you like your family dramas a little dysfunctional and your social commentary razor-sharp.
Who May Not Like This Book:
For those who prefer fast-paced plots or deeply sympathetic characters, this might not be your cup of tea. Some readers found the book moved slowly, focused too much on business jargon, or had too many unlikable, self-absorbed characters. If you're looking for a heartwarming family redemption arc, or you get frustrated by 'rich people problems,' this might leave you cold. Also, folks craving a straightforward storyline may find the multiple perspectives and tangled subplots a bit much.
About:
Family Trust by Kathy Wang is a comedy of manners set in Silicon Valley, focusing on the Huang family - Stanley, his ex-wife Linda, their children Fred and Kate, and Stanley's second wife Mary. The story revolves around the impending death of Stanley due to pancreatic cancer, leaving his family in the dark about his net worth and inheritance plans. The book delves into the dynamics of immigrant families, their struggles, and the pursuit of the American dream, all while exploring themes of greed, family disputes, and expectations.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Warnings include themes of terminal illness, family strife, and depiction of personal struggles with mental and emotional health.
From The Publisher:
"A globe-trotting, whirlwind, tragi-comic family saga that wrings tears from absurdity and laughter from loss. A joy to read from start to finish."
- Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize
The Nest meets Crazy Rich Asians in this sharp comedic novel about a Chinese-American family's attempts (or not) to fulfill its dying patriarch's final bequest.
Some of us are more equal than others....
Meet Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For years, Stanley has claimed that he's worth a small fortune. But the time is now coming when the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and Stanley's family is nervous.
For his son Fred, the inheritance Stanley has long alluded to would soothe the pain caused by years of professional disappointment. By now, the Harvard Business School graduate had expected to be a financial tech god - not a minor investor at a middling corporate firm, where he isn't even allowed to fly business class.
Stanley's daughter, Kate, is a middle manager with one of Silicon Valley's most prestigious tech companies. She manages the capricious demands of her world-famous boss and the needs of her two young children all while supporting her would-be entrepreneur husband (just until his startup gets off the ground, which will surely be soon). But lately, Kate has been sensing something amiss; just because you say you have it all, it doesn't mean that you actually do.
Stanley's second wife, Mary Zhu, twenty-eight years his junior, has devoted herself to making her husband comfortable in every way-rubbing his feet, cooking his favorite dishes, massaging his ego. But lately, her commitment has waned; caring for a dying old man is far more difficult than she expected.
Linda Liang, Stanley's first wife, knows her ex better than anyone. She worked hard for decades to ensure their financial security, and is determined to see her children get their due. Single for nearly a decade, she might finally be ready for some romantic companionship. But where does a seventy-two year old Chinese woman in California go to find an appropriate boyfriend?
As Stanley's death approaches, the Huangs are faced with unexpected challenges that upend them and eventually lead them to discover what they most value. A compelling tale of cultural expectations, career ambitions and our relationships with the people who know us best, Family Trust skewers the ambition and desires that drive Silicon Valley and draws a sharply loving portrait of modern American family life.
Ratings (1)
Loved It (1) |
Reader Stats (2):
Read It (1) | |
Not Interested (1) |
What can you read after
Family Trust?
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
