The Dim Sum of All Things

January 26, 2004
Wong Keltner's spunky novel about a third-generation Chinese-American in San Francisco delivers a left hook to knee-jerk political correctness and offers a comic, honest take on what it feels like to be part of two cultures. Lindsey Owyang is a modern 20-something, underemployed as a receptionist at Vegan Warrior
magazine (she's a "closet meat-eater"), who unexpectedly finds herself falling "in like" with Michael Cartier, the magazine's white travel editor. But dating's tough when you live at home with a traditional Chinese grandmother and even harder when that grandmother is constantly trying to set you up with the children of her mah-jongg partners. Meanwhile, Lindsay's aunt gets colored contacts (" 'Don't you think I look at least half-white anyway?' "); a white friend says that Asian girls are stealing all the cute frat boys; and creepy "Hoarders of All Things Asian" accost her on the bus. Lindsey gets a chance to connect with her roots when she finds out that she's expected to accompany her grandmother to China to visit long-lost relatives. Here Lindsey finally gains a grounded sense of her personal and cultural past, while at the same time realizing that as an ABC (American-born Chinese), "every experience, even the unpleasant ones, had helped to slowly build her character, creating a one-of-a-kind Chinese American named Lindsey Owyang." Wong Keltner is unabashedly sassy and biting in her take on race and love, and the result is both refreshing and smart. (Feb.)

Forecast:
This breezy bicultural novel provides savvier entertainment than much of its more earnest competition. The cute title and nice price should encourage readers to give it a chance.

February 15, 2004
First novelist Keltner tells the story of Lindsey Owyang, a 25-year-old receptionist living with her elderly Chinese grandmother in modern-day San Francisco. Growing up, she distanced herself from her Chinese heritage-her parents didn't serve her traditional food, she routinely skipped her after-school Chinese-language class, and she was ashamed of her infatuation with Hello Kitty. In college, she studied European literature, and throughout her life, she has always been attracted to white guys (though she is wary of "Hoarders of All Things Asian," or those with Asian fetishes). Living with her loving grandmother, however, Lindsey can't help but be immersed in Chinese culture. Eventually, the two travel to China, at which point this multicultural chick-lit tale delves deep into Amy Tan territory. Lindsey soon learns that appreciating her Chinese heritage does not make her as uncool as she feared. Peppered with trendy designer names and featuring a good-guy romantic interest, this urban coming-of-age tale is satisfying on many levels. Recommended for all public libraries.-Karen Core, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., Baltimore

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2004
After a lifetime of eating Spaghetti-Os, watching "The Brady Bunch," and listening to cheezy '80s music, 25-year-old Lindsey Owyang is a thoroughly modern third-generation ABC (American-born Chinese). In an effort to save money and placate her family, Lindsey lives with her tiny, mah-jongg-gambling grandmother, Pau Pau, who dispenses fashion advice, blind dates, and "stinky tiger balm." Like most young urban professional women, Lindsey agonizes over her body (she has one malformed toe, preventing her from wearing sandals), men (she avoids guys with "Asian girl fetishes"), and work (she's one of the secret meat-eaters at "Vegan Warrior "magazine). When her family insists Lindsey accompany Pau Pau on a nostalgic trip to China, she develops an appreciation for her roots and discovers a family secret. "Bridget Jones "meets "The Joy Luck Club" in this multicultural twist on the single-gal-in-the-city subgenre of fiction. Believable characters in realistically outlandish situations raise this book a few notches above standard chick-lit fare. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)