Book clubs

The Leftover Woman | Searching for Sylvie Lee | Mambo in Chinatown | Girl in Translation 

The Leftover Woman BOOK CLUB GUIDE

1. What was your first impression of Jasmine? How did your sense of her character change throughout the story? At what point did you root for her most?

2. How would you describe the differences in these characters’ attitudes toward motherhood?

3. Think about the title: The Leftover Woman. This is a Chinese phrase referring to women who are unmarried by their late twenties. How does the title inform your reading? Who is “leftover”? Are there multiple meanings?

4. Discuss the relationship between Rebecca and Brandon. Would you consider them a strong couple? Why do you think Lucy comes between them?

5. Think about Jasmine’s experiences as an undocumented worker in New York City. How does this impact her relationships with different classes and her employers, even as she rubs shoulders with them?

6. How would you describe Kwok’s prose style? What are the distinct elements of each woman’s chapters?

7. Consider the novel’s structure beyond the two perspectives. What effect did the brief Prologue have on your reading of this story? What expectations did it establish? How would the novel read differently without it?

8. Consider what Wen did to Jasmine. Why did he feel he could do this? What does he think Jasmine owes him?

9. Did Jasmine’s time working at Opium surprise you in any way? How does Kwok explore the complexities of sex work and particularly fetishism of minorities?

10. Are Rebecca and Brandon good parents for Fifi? Why or why not?

11. How did you react to the “twist” about Lucy’s character? Why do you think Kwok chose to shape the narrative in this way?