The Original Daughter
Lays bare the claustrophobia of familial love, the ache of unfulfilled dreams and the costs of repressed emotion ... Wei handles Genevieve’s dueling pride in and envy of her sister with grace and nuance ... Through this emotionally heavy plot the novel thankfully maintains a sense of humor, and an engaging, matter-of-fact tone. If the pace slows down in the second act, the final quarter surges ahead as tensions erupt into a staggering act of betrayal ... Wei writes with a maturity that belies this novel’s status as a debut. Precise, layered and moving, The Original Daughter is a book not to miss.
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Wei delivers an expertly paced and moving debut, a tragedy without over-the-top drama. Her precise descriptions—a character 'pickles in disgrace'—keeps the focus on the taut action. Best of all, she paints holistic people who may be petty and selfish and yet display grace and kindness.
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Resonant ... With meticulous detail, Wei unfurls the aching provenance of the family's irreparable fracture ... Although Gen's relentless, self-admitted 'hubris' occasionally threatens to weigh down the narrative, Wei's glorious phrasing and revelatory observations provide buoying antidotes ... Wei reveals a tragic, haunting exercise in the limitations of not-quite unconditional love
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