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A review by crystalisreading
Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
emotional
hopeful
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Good Fortune is a sweet, magical contemporary story. It's an #ownvoices magical realist contemporary romance starring Natalie Tan, a recently orphaned Chines-American woman who comes back to her family apartment in San Francisco's Chinatown to mourn her estranged mother's sudden passing and resolve her mother's affairs. This task turns into so much more, as Natalie discovers more and more about her family history, her formidable, magical grandmother, who was so beloved by and integral to their Chinatown community, her lovely, opinionated, agoraphobic mother, her absentee father, and the now-closed family restaurant downstairs that influenced all their lives so very much. The book is full of lavish descriptions of food and music and the seamless blending of magical awareness and events with contemporary life. Natalie hears songs that represent people she loves, and uses food to help the people around her. She also fights back against the encroaching gentrification of her Chinatown neighborhood and meets a handsome, charming love interest who loves her and her cooking about equally.
The diversity of the story is lovely. Almost everyone, aside from an obnoxious and pushy white female real estate agent, is Asian American, mostly Chinese, and lives in or near San Francisco's Chinatown. There are many interesting older characters, as well as the younger Natalie and her love interest. I don't remember any LGBTQ+ representation, but there's definitely mental health rep, as Natalie's mother was homebound by agoraphobia/ anxiety, and Natalie has her own mental health struggles, from a loving but contentious relationship with her mother and abandonment issues from an absent father.
The writing felt very simplistic to me. Natalie often behaved in a very young and immature manner, and the story itself could be very simplistic. I guessed most of the twists far in advance. That doesn't mean the story wasn't enjoyable. The food descriptions really were mouth-watering, and the story captured lovely snapshots of historic Chinatown neighborhoods, with vital messages about the danger of gentrification erasing so much important Chinese American history and culture. The story itself, while predictable and often simplistic, was still pleasant. This is Roselle Lim's first book, and as such, I'm looking forward to trying some of her following books, to see how her writing improves with experience, and what other food and cultural aspects of the Chinese diaspora she features. If you're looking for a relaxing read, with lots of food and magic and romance, and if you won't be triggered by the repeated themes of mental health issues, including sudden and traumatic bereavement, this could be a lovely choice for you, either in print or in the charming audio book presentation.
Thank you to Berkley/ Penguin Random House for an advanced physical copy of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, which they shared with me for free several years ago in a Goodreads giveaway. I finally read it! This is my honest opinion.
The diversity of the story is lovely. Almost everyone, aside from an obnoxious and pushy white female real estate agent, is Asian American, mostly Chinese, and lives in or near San Francisco's Chinatown. There are many interesting older characters, as well as the younger Natalie and her love interest. I don't remember any LGBTQ+ representation, but there's definitely mental health rep, as Natalie's mother was homebound by agoraphobia/ anxiety, and Natalie has her own mental health struggles, from a loving but contentious relationship with her mother and abandonment issues from an absent father.
The writing felt very simplistic to me. Natalie often behaved in a very young and immature manner, and the story itself could be very simplistic. I guessed most of the twists far in advance. That doesn't mean the story wasn't enjoyable. The food descriptions really were mouth-watering, and the story captured lovely snapshots of historic Chinatown neighborhoods, with vital messages about the danger of gentrification erasing so much important Chinese American history and culture. The story itself, while predictable and often simplistic, was still pleasant. This is Roselle Lim's first book, and as such, I'm looking forward to trying some of her following books, to see how her writing improves with experience, and what other food and cultural aspects of the Chinese diaspora she features. If you're looking for a relaxing read, with lots of food and magic and romance, and if you won't be triggered by the repeated themes of mental health issues, including sudden and traumatic bereavement, this could be a lovely choice for you, either in print or in the charming audio book presentation.
Thank you to Berkley/ Penguin Random House for an advanced physical copy of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, which they shared with me for free several years ago in a Goodreads giveaway. I finally read it! This is my honest opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders