The Tiger Mom's Tale: A Novel by Lyn Liao Butler

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

When an American woman inherits the wealth of her Taiwanese family, she travels to confront them about their betrayals of the past in this stunning debut by Lyn Liao Butler. 

Lexa Thomas has never quite fit in. Having grown up in a family of blondes while more closely resembling Constance Wu, she's neither white enough nor Asian enough. Visiting her father in Taiwan as a child, Lexa thought she'd finally found a place where she belonged. But that was years ago, and even there, some never truly considered her to be Taiwanese.

When her estranged father dies unexpectedly, leaving the fate of his Taiwanese family in Lexa's hands, her safe life in New York City is no longer enough. She is faced with the choice to return to Taiwan and claim her place in her heritage . . . or leave her Taiwanese family to lose their home for good.

Armed with the advice of two half sisters (one American and the other Taiwanese, who can't stand each other), a mother who has rediscovered her sexuality, and a man whose kisses make her walk into walls, Lexa finally confronts the person who drove her away from Taiwan all those decades ago. As the truth of the last fateful summer in Taiwan slowly unfolds, Lexa must stand up for herself and open her heart to family and love, or allow the repercussions of her family's choices to forever dictate the path of her life.

my thoughts:

Wow. What a story. The Tiger Mom's Tale by Lyn Liao Butler is excellent. I mean it. This book has it all - superb writing, powerful storytelling, fascinating characters, and FAMILY DRAMA. I loved it to bits. And, I would happily recommend this as a must-read to anyone and everyone. 

Lexa feels out of place. She always has. Her family is made up of blondes, while she is the complete opposite. She's considered to be not enough when it comes to her ethnicity and race. It isn't until she visits her father in Taiwan that she finally feels at home. Of course, she's just a child. Either way, she felt like she fit in. However, something happens one summer and her visits with her father end.  Fast forward several years and Lexa's father has passed away, and he's left her an ultimatum to deal with. So, she heads to Taiwan and to a family that may or may not finally be able to answer so many questions swirling around in her head - like, what happened that fateful summer? As she navigates a country and a family that feel both like home and like strangers, Lexa must finally confront her identity issues head-on.  

Talk about riveting. I was hooked and couldn't put this book down for anything. I just fell in deep and loved every second I spent with Lexa and her journey to figure out who she is and what she wants. It was fantastic!  The Tiger Mom's Tale was such a great story. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!