NOW AVAILABLE

An evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women—from the New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation.

ORDER NOW

“Highly recommended.”
—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“A haunting, emotionally powerful story.
Kwok is an impressive talent.”
— Karin Slaughter, NYT bestselling author

“Not only a suspenseful read but also an introspective journey.”
— ELLE

“A riveting drama.”
— Time

“Kwok is a skilled writer of suspenseful family drama.”
— New York Times Book Review

“Poignant... sparks fascinating questions.”
— Real Simple

“Hugely atmospheric and suspenseful. ”
— Lucy Foley, #1 NYT bestselling author

“A beautiful, propulsive story!”  
— Laura Dave, #1 NYT bestselling author

“A heart-tugging exploration of love, belonging, and the meaning of family.”
— Ruth Ware, #1 NYT bestselling author

* Good Morning America Book Club Buzz Pick *

* CBS New York Book Club Top 3 Pick *

* Book of the Month Pick *

* LibraryReads Pick, chosen as a top 10 adult book by America’s library staff *

* Reader’s Digest Book Club Pick*

* An Indigo Best Book of the Year*

* Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller *

* Writer’s Digest Cover Feature*

FEATURED & RECOMMENDED BY:

the new york times, ELLE, PEOPLE, TIME, NPR, THE NEW YORK POST, Real Simple, daily mail, the guardian, woman & home, writers digest (cover article), booklist, variety, bookbub, publishers weekly, crimereads, bookreporter, WEALTH OF GEEKS, LIBRARY JOURNAL, SCARY MOMMY, novel suspects, LIT HUB, she Reads, criminal element, goodreads, library reads, THE LITERARY REVIEW, popsugar, the skimm and more

“Jean Kwok delivers again with The Leftover Woman—a magnetic meditation on secret histories, motherhood, love, and how we show up for each other in the most surprising of ways. A beautiful, propulsive story!”
—Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
“Kwok brings her signature lyrical prose to the novel, while suspense simmers in the background… Highly recommended.”
—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“A heart-wrenching examination of transracial adoption and its influence in the lives of a Chinese American child and the two mothers who love her. One is Jasmine, the child’s biological mother, a woman on the run from her husband; the other is Rebecca, the wealthy American executive who adopted Jasmine’s daughter. The resulting intersection of their lives makes this book not only a suspenseful read, but also an introspective journey into the bonds of family, country, class, and race.”
—ELLE, Best Books of 2023
“Intriguing... The pages keep turning... Kwok is a skilled writer of suspenseful family drama... We root for Jasmine and Rebecca as they face impossible choices and emerge stronger for the battles they've fought, always resisting becoming 'leftover women.'”
—New York Times Book Review
“In The Leftover Woman, Jean Kwok weaves a riveting drama about motherhood and belonging. ”
—Time
“Jean Kwok is at the very top of her game here. This searing yet poignant exploration of the pull of motherhood is part drama, part mystery, and all heart. Utterly propulsive... Kwok is more skilled than ever, more precise and cadenced with her prose, and more creative with her twists.”
—Bookreporter
“Anyone looking for an of-the-moment page-turner of a novel need look no further.”
—NPR, 5 Mysteries and Thrillers New This Fall
“This poignant mystery sparks fascinating questions about motherhood, class and identity.”
—Real Simple, Best Books of 2023
“A compelling and moving mystery in which threads converge and dangers pile up.”
—The Guardian
“Two women on a collision course hurtle through twists and turns to high-octane ending that will have you tearing through the pages.”
—Woman & Home
“The devastating choices of each woman land them in an explosive reckoning that will change both of their lives.”
—Popsugar
“Two stories intertwine in this exciting tale.”
—Daily Mail
“Has the heart and heft of literary fiction and the couldn't-put-this-down-even-if-tried engine of a thriller. ”
—TheSkimm
“At once a hugely atmospheric and suspenseful mystery and a compelling exploration of motherhood and belonging that packs a profound emotional punch. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book long after I’d read the final page.”
—Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Apartment
“The lives of two women--a privileged book editor and a Chinese immigrant navigating Manhattan's underworld--collide in this emotion-packed thriller.”
—People, Must-Read Books for Fall
“What a page-turner! The Leftover Woman asks aching questions about family and love even as it hop-scotches across cultures and classes, bringing both tragedy and hope. A marvelous read.”
—Gish Jen, award-winning author of The Resisters
“A heart-tugging exploration of love, belonging and the meaning of family.”
—Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl
“Jasmine arrives in the United States in search of her daughter, whom her abusive husband gave up for adoption. Soon, she learns the child was taken in by a wealthy New York publishing family... she must field threats that could reveal her secret.”
—The New York Times, 34 Works of Fiction to Read This Fall
“The two women are on a collision course, and the clock is ticking.”
—The New York Post, Books to Read This Fall
“A haunting, emotionally powerful story about motherhood, family, oppression, immigration, and power. Kwok is an impressive talent whose books resonate with deeply felt emotion and expertly crafted plotting.”
—Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her and the Will Trent series
“Jean Kwok has done it again. Her newest novel will make your heart race as it follows two determined women: one whose choices have been limited, and one who has the world at her feet. Her heroines cross languages, borders, and cultures to collide in a confrontation that leaves blood on their hands. As gorgeous as it is thrilling, The Leftover Woman tells a story of identity, ambition, and love that makes us look again at who we are and who we're forced to be. It asks us: How far would you go to get what you want?”
—Julia Phillips, award-winning, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth, finalist for the National Book Award
“Hooks readers with an emotionally gripping story of two mothers willing to risk everything to protect what they love, skillfully balancing perspectives to a riveting climax.”
—LibraryReads, Top Ten Adult Books Chosen by America's Library Staff
“This intriguing novel is family drama hung on the scaffolding of a mystery story.”
—Goodreads, Fall's Best New Mysteries and Thrillers
“The Leftover Woman is an unforgettable, beautifully written page-turner that’s about so many things at once: a courageous woman fighting to escape an abusive husband, a mother’s love and sacrifice, and how culture and language dramatically change the lens through which we are seen and evaluated by others. Jean Kwok uses an intricately layered plot to ensnare and mesmerize us with fierce, complex characters. I absolutely adored this novel, from its tantalizing first pages to the poignant ending.”
—Angie Kim, award-winning, bestselling author of Miracle Creek, Edgar winner
“Propulsive… engrossing and suspenseful.”
—Publishers Weekly
“An utterly riveting novel about two very different mothers, The Leftover Woman is not only an absolutely propulsive thriller but also a profound exploration of poverty and privilege, oppression and escape, desire and the self. This spellbinding narrative of immigration and hidden identity proves in so many ways that love has no boundaries.”
—Lan Samantha Chang, Director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, award-winning author of The Family Chao, one of Obama's Books of Summer
“A highly entertaining page-turner.”
—Kirkus
“Emotional, beautiful, and haunting... an impeccably plotted domestic thriller that culminates in a profoundly satisfying ending.”
—CrimeReads
“The Leftover Woman is a gripping, emotional story of women forced to make impossible (sometimes life-and-death) decisions. Driven by love and self-determination, Jasmine and Rebecca present fierce representations of motherhood rife with vivid struggles and triumphs that lodged right in my heart. Jean Kwok once again delivers suspense and passion within a character-driven framework that readers can't help but lose themselves in. The Leftover Woman is one of the best and brightest books of the year!”
—Thao Thai, author of Banyan Moon, Read with Jenna Pick
“This thrilling story about two very different women on a shocking collision course is also a profound exploration of identity and motherhood.”
—SheReads, Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2023
 
 

* Jenna Bush Hager’s Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick *

* Emma Roberts’ Belletrist Book Club Pick *

* Time Must-Read Book *

* New York Post, Marie Claire and Real Simple Best Book *

An INSTANT BESTSELLER on:

THE NEW YORK TIMES (BOTH HARDCOVER FICTION & COMBINED PRINT & EBOOK), USA TODAY, APPLE, AMAZON, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AND THE AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION BESTSELLER LISTS

BEST BOOK of the season according to: 

NEWSWEEK, MARIE CLAIRE, THE NY POST, O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE, REAL SIMPLE, PEOPLE, ELLE, HARPER’S BAZAAR, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, NYLON, THE WEEK, THE DAILY BEAST, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, BOOKBUB, CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER and more

FEATURED & RECOMMENDED BY:

THE NEW YORK TIMES, TIME, NEWSWEEK, CNN, THE NEW YORK POST, THE WASHINGTON POST, AMAZON, O MAGAZINE, PEOPLE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, FORBES, INSTYLE, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, REAL SIMPLE, ELLE, MARIE CLAIRE, HARPER’S BAZAAR, THE SKIMM, KATIE COURIC MEDIA, TOWN & COUNTRY,
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, YOU MAGAZINE, CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER, LIBRARY JOURNAL, LIT HUB, NYLON, BUZZFEED, REFINERY29, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE WEEK, POPSUGAR, THE DAILY BEAST, CRIME READS, BOOKBUB, BOOK RIOT,  BUSTLE, GOODREADS, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, KIRKUS, BOOKLIST, SHELF AWARENESS, SHE READS, SOCIETY19, THRILLIST, WOMEN.COM, THE EVERYGIRL, PUREWOW, PEN AMERICA, and more

“Kwok’s story spans generations, continents and language barriers, combining old-fashioned Nancy Drew sleuthing with the warmth and heart we’ve come to expect from this gifted writer.... I lost myself in the music of Kwok’s story and heard a family trying to find their own harmony. If there’s a more familiar and beautiful sound, I don’t know what it is.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“Excellent from every angle, this is a can't-miss novel for lovers of poignant and propulsive fiction.”
—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Kwok’s tightly woven novel is an emotional and thrilling page-turner.”
—Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“Sharply observed, with a plot as unpredictable as its moody Dutch landscape… a powerful meditation on loss, identity, and belonging.”
—Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW

Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Leftover Woman, Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation and Mambo in Chinatown. Her work has been published in twenty countries and taught in universities, colleges, and high schools across the world.

The Leftover Woman was a Good Morning America Book Club Buzz Pick, CBS New York Book Club Top 3 Pick, Book of the Month Pick, and a LibraryReads Top 10 Pick selected by library staff across America. It was featured in The New York Times, Time, Elle, People, NPR, The New York Post, Variety and more. An instant New York Times bestseller, Searching for Sylvie Lee was selected for the Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club. 

Jean has been chosen for numerous honors including the American Library Association Alex Award, the Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award, an Orange New Writers title and the Sunday Times Short Story Award international shortlist. She was one of twelve contemporary authors asked by the Agatha Christie estate to write an original, authorized Miss Marple story for Marple: Twelve New Mysteries. All of her novels are in development for film and television.

She is trilingual, fluent in Dutch, Chinese, and English, and studied Latin for seven years. Jean immigrated from Hong Kong to Brooklyn when she was five and worked in a Chinatown clothing factory for much of her childhood. She received her bachelor's degree from Harvard and completed an MFA in fiction at Columbia University. She divides her time between the Netherlands and New York City… learn more