River East, River West – Aube Rey Lescure

READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZE

Alva is a 14-year-old half Chinese, half American girl with a secretive mother. They live in Shanghai but Alva dreams of a better life in the US. A coming of age, social drama about the impact of western emigration to Chinese society in the 2000s, told through two narratives: Alva’s in 2007, and her step-father Lu Fang’s in 1985.

‘Just a child’, but it wasn’t true. Something broke and suddenly you were no longer a kid. You were out on your own and no one asked questions. No one paid attention.

●  The complex layering of this novel was executed beautifully and at times I felt great sadness for a character only to then feel aggrieved by their actions a few chapters along. All characters, for different reasons, were doing their utmost to hustle and better themselves in an environment that was both challenging and alienating, even for those who were a part of it from birth. I appreciated the insight into modern-day China and the necessary wrestling with the past. – Suzy

●  River East, River West certainly portrays what it feels like to be stuck in the middle of two opposing worlds. The author, herself half Chinese and raised in Shanghai, has highlighted many important topics such as race, class, culture, alienation and identity without cluttering up the narrative. I enjoyed the plot and the events and always wanted to get back to the story, but had a mixed relationship with the characters. Sometimes I loved them, sometimes I did not, but that rollercoaster of emotion only made me more invested in the outcomes. A book with a satisfying ending. – Rachel

Published 2024
William Morrow
354 pages