The cover Family Trust is beautiful and eye-catching — the bright red a nod to the Chinese-American family it surrounds, the embossed gold design an indicator of their wealth. And, though itโs enough to make anyone give it a second glance, it was the description that drew me in.
The Huang family is experiencing a crisis. Stanley, the patriarch, is dying. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and losing weight at an alarming pace, itโs clear that itโs time to get his affairs in order. His children, Fred and Kate, are prompted by their mother and Stanleyโs ex-wife, Linda, to make sure they will get their fair share. They donโt want to see it go to his second much younger wife, Mary.
The story is told from multiple points of view, primarily Fred, Kate and Linda, with Stanley and Mary getting one chapter each. This format helps to give a complete picture of the trio and is well-done. Itโs very clear Kathy Wang spent a lot of time in her charactersโ heads. It is also presumably an attempt to create some empathy for these characters, who are focused on Stanleyโs estate more than the man himself. After learning about Stanley, Iโm not necessarily faulting them.
I found each character unlikeable in their own way — though I found I actually enjoyed Linda, who reminded me of a more independent version of Emily Gilmore. Though the characters are no Crazy Rich Asians (and aside from them being of Asian descent, there is no comparison between that book and this — despite several blurbs saying so), they are extremely wealthy by most Americansโ standards. The children are entitled, and Stanley is maddeningly inept. I donโt have to have a character to relate to in order to enjoy a story, but it certainly helps. ย
Still, fans of The Nest, other books about โrich people problemsโ or family dramas will want to check this one out. Itโs well-written, and I enjoyed Kathy Wangโs unique insight into Silicon Valley. Iโd certainly be interested in seeing more from her!
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for letting me participate in this tour.
ย 
About Family Trust
About Family Trustโข Hardcover: 400 pages
โข Publisher: William Morrow (October 30, 2018)
THE INAUGURAL BUZZFEED BOOK CLUB PICK
NAMED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE FALL BY
The Washington Post โข Elle.com โข Buzzfeed โข Entertainment Weekly โข Bustle โข The Globe and Mail โข Apartment Therapy โข Town & Country โข Harperโs Bazaar
โReads like a brilliant mashup of The Nest and Crazy Rich Asians (with a soupรงon of Arrested Development for good measure).โ โ Cristina Alger, author of The Bankerโs Wife
Meet Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Meet Stanleyโs family: son Fred, who feels that he should be making a lot more money; daughter Kate, managing a capricious boss, a distracted husband, and two small children; ex-wife Linda, familiar with and suspicious of Stanleyโs grandiose ways; and second wife Mary, giver of foot rubs and ego massages.
For years, Stanley has insistently claimed that heโs worth a small fortune. Now, as the Huangs come to terms with Stanleyโs approaching death, they are also starting to fear that Stanleyโs โsmall fortuneโ may be more โsmallโ than โfortune.โ A compelling tale of cultural expectations, career ambitions and our relationships with the people who know us best, Family Trust draws a sharply loving portrait of modern American family life.
About Kathy Wang
Kathy Wang grew up in Northern California and holds degrees from UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two children.
Visit Kathyโs website and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Photo by Nina Subin.
Other Review Stops
- Book Club Reading Roundup: May 2020 Edition - May 30, 2020
- Book Club Reading Roundup: November 2019 Edition - November 30, 2019
- Review: If Only I Could Tell You - October 31, 2019
2 comments
[…] Tuesday, November 13th: Literary Quicksand […]
Thanks for being on the tour!