Waiting on Wednesday is held over at Breaking the Spine, and it highlights the books bloggers are hanging out for. This week, my choice is: The Wangs vs the World
Ever had one of those — or some of those — weeks where nothing is going right? Yeah. So I need something to make me laugh and this looks lovely! Check it out:
A hilarious debut novel about a wealthy but fractured Chinese immigrant family that had it all, only to lose every last cent—and about the road trip they take across America that binds them back together
Charles Wang is mad at America. A brash, lovable immigrant businessman who built a cosmetics empire and made a fortune, he’s just been ruined by the financial crisis. Now all Charles wants is to get his kids safely stowed away so that he can go to China and attempt to reclaim his family’s ancestral lands—and his pride.
Charles pulls Andrew, his aspiring comedian son, and Grace, his style-obsessed daughter, out of schools he can no longer afford. Together with their stepmother, Barbra, they embark on a cross-country road trip from their foreclosed Bel-Air home to the upstate New York hideout of the eldest daughter, disgraced art world it-girl Saina. But with his son waylaid by a temptress in New Orleans, his wife ready to defect for a set of 1,000-thread-count sheets, and an epic smash-up in North Carolina, Charles may have to choose between the old world and the new, between keeping his family intact and finally fulfilling his dream of starting anew in China.
Outrageously funny and full of charm, The Wangs vs. the World is an entirely fresh look at what it means to belong in America—and how going from glorious riches to (still name-brand) rags brings one family together in a way money never could.
And, I mean, come on, look at the blurb — a road trip? A stop in New Orleans that clearly doesn’t go the way Charles thinks it should, lol! Every immigrant makes a choice between the old and the new — I think to some extent everyone does at different points in their lives.
What do you think? Will you give this a go? What are you waiting on this week?
This one sounds really great! I love road trips and NOLA
my WoW
It does, doesn’t it? I love that it’s humourous AND like you said, NOLA and road trips!!
Thanks for sharing. I hadn’t heard of this one. I do like a good road trip book, and something that can make me laugh is even better!
-Lauren
p.s. you asked about Ravi in Beta Test being Indian, and yes, he is! 🙂
I hear you about books that make me laugh — I don’t often find them, so when I do I’m like GIMMEEEEE!!
re: Ravi: I wondered!
This is new to me, but it sounds really good. I hope you enjoy reading it.
My WoW
TY Sandra!
This is the first time I’ve heard of this book, it’s sounds really fun. I hope you enjoy it! And what you said about one/some of those weeks where nothing is going right, I hope it gets better for you! 🙂