BooksForABuck.com source for book reviews, writing resources, and free and affordable eBooks



Search
Booksforabuck

Powered by FreeFind


Site search
Web search

    Review of BUDDHA BABY by Kim Wong Keltner

    Avon Trade, September 2005

    Chinese-American twenty-something Lindsey Owyang has the best boyfriend in the world. He would do anything for her--absolutely anything. So when he proposes, it seems like a no-brainer. Of course she'll marry him. But then he goes away on a weeks-long assignment, and without his anchoring presence, Lindsey lets her doubts get the better of her. Is she doing the right thing, marrying someone who is only a quarter Chinese and doesn't look Asian at all? Why has she never dated another Chinese? And why is her family so weirdly secret about their history? She doesn't even know her grandparents' real names.

    When a nerdy grade-school crush shows up in her life, all grown up and deliciously handsome--and Asian--Lindsey must face her fears and temptations head on. As she thwarts Justin Lee's flirtations, she can't help but wonder if she is ready for marriage. But perhaps solving the mystery of her cranky grandmother's past will help her to understand herself and finally make peace with her two worlds--one steeped in Chinese tradition, one reeking of modern American culture.

    Although plotwise this sequel to The Dim Sum of All Things meanders all over the place and was at times slow, it's still an engrossing read. The descriptions of San Francisco, and particularly Chinatown, are so vivid the reader feels like she's been there on vacation. And Lindsey, with her quirkiness and her foibles, is a most lovable heroine, one it's easy to root for. Anyone who loved the previous book will love this one as well.

    See more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Kim Wong Keltner

    Three Stars

    Reviewed 12/30/05

    Ready to buy? Click the 'buy from Amazon button':

    See more details and investigate Amazon Marketplace availability for BUDDHA BABY from Amazon.com

    Rather buy it from Barnes and Noble?
    Click this link to buy BUDDHA BABY from Barnes and Noble.com

    Out of Town Bride banner
    Please Support our Sponsors