WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE by Sophie Wan is a fun, entertaining escapist read. Set
in Shanghai, Wan’s debut novel features three good friends who are dissatisfied
with their life circumstances. Lulu feels beholden to her economically
struggling parents and trapped in an engagement to a wealthy young man. Jane, herself
in a marriage of convenience, wants to change her appearance to be more
conventionally attractive and Rina is a hard-working career woman who cannot
seem to get the respect and promotions she deserves. A truly improbable quest
to steal the red envelopes (cash gifts) from Lulu’s future wedding suddenly
becomes their focus. A large part of the humorous novel is about their efforts
to circumvent the security system and arrange for a get away driver, etc.
However, there are also many serious underlying themes, particularly the uncomfortable
mother-daughter clashes. Over several months prior to the wedding, each of the women
also experiences growth in her relationship with a significant other (fiancé Harv,
husband Zihao, and quasi-boyfriend bad-boy Vic). Readers may need to suspend
belief regarding some of the heist twists (and way over the top wedding expenses) but will come to root for the three
friends’ abilities to value each other and to ultimately make wise choices. WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE received a
starred review from Booklist. Discussion questions are included for
interested book groups.
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