A River of Stars: A Novel
By: Vanessa Hua / Narrated By: Jennifer Lim
Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
Not your normal book about motherhood, coming-of-age, rags to, well, better rags…
I dunno, but I really liked A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua. First, it was perfectly narrated by Jennifer Lim who seemed to handle stern and conniving men as well as she did emotional women, and even more emotional side characters. There’s a WHOLE host of characters to contend with here, as the story takes place in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and Scarlett and Daisy live in a rooming house with a bevy of hyper-expressive neighbors. Lim manages the Chinese expressions of dismay and surprise with great aplomb, making me feel like I was standing right next to a gaggle of haggling immigrants, each determined to have their say. Great job, Ms. Lim!
Imagine if you will, Boss Yeung is finally having a boy. Okay, so he’s already married, and he has three daughters, but now with his mistress, Scarlett, pregnant with a boy child, the man is thinking heirs, and the future, and Scarlett better take care of that blessed baby in her womb or there’ll be hell to pay. He ships Scarlett off to America so that his son can be born an American citizen.
Just a few tiiiiiiiiny things. Like Scarlett is stifling under the weight of his scrutiny. And oh yeah? It turns out it’s a baby girl. Scarlett escapes in America with a young teen-aged mother-to-be, Daisy, as a stowaway, and the two are on the lam, dashing to San Francisco to try to fit in with the Chinese community. There’s poverty, more poverty, and soon there are a little girl and a little boy belonging to Scarlett and Daisy respectively.
There were a few times that Scarlett did things and, especially, said things that made me not like her. But Scarlett comes from an impoverished village in rural China, and she’s worked her whole life to make things better for herself. So what she does and says comes from that desperation, I came to realize. Plus, Daisy is like fire to Scarlett’s gasoline—both women are fiery and spunky. And, somehow, through it all, they’re friends.
A River of Stars is everything Paper Wife wasn’t: Stars is things going from bad, to worse, only to be fixed for a short time before it all goes to hell in a hand basket once again. There’s tension galore as Boss Yeung hunts for Scarlett and his son, as Visas are due to expire, as poverty rears its ugly head, as a young boyfriend is searched for but cannot be found.
This was a truly delightful Listen, complete with great characters, plenty of strife, and some pretty lyrical writing at times. One thing I must say, however, is that you’re probably best doing it at at leeeeast x1.25 speed. Now, we all know that’s the ONLY speed I basically listen at, but I had to up it to x1.5 speed at times. So, see?
Okay, just finished it for a second time, and I stand by my review: A very charming book with a super sweet almost tearjerker of an ending. So what are you waiting for? Go Listen!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.