JUNE 2019 - AudioFile
Three talented narrators portray three women whose stories draw the listener into this mystery. Sylvie Lee disappears while she is visiting Holland to be with her dying grandmother. Narrator Angela Lin portrays Sylvie, and Samantha Quan her younger sister, Amy; both capture the characters’ individual personalities as presented by Kwok. However, Caroline McLaughlin’s performance as their mother has no accent—even though the daughters refer more than once to her challenges with English, an inconsistency that is jarring to the listener. Kwok takes on many serious issues including the immigrant experience, sexism, and dysfunctional family relationships. She provides texture to her story with aphorisms, rich descriptions, and slowly unwinding reveals. Listeners will appreciate the insights but may find the ending a bit far-fetched. E.Q. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review - Elisabeth Egan
…in Searching for Sylvie Lee, Kwok layers a mystery on top of a compelling story about [a] Chinese family trying to find their footing in an unfamiliar world…Kwok's story spans generations, continents and language barriers, combining old-fashioned Nancy Drew sleuthing with the warmth and heart we've come to expect from this gifted writer…I lost myself in the music of Kwok's story and heard a family trying to find their own harmony. If there's a more familiar and beautiful sound, I don't know what it is.
From the Publisher
Like all most compelling mysteries, Jean Kwok’s Searching for Sylvie Lee has a powerful emotional drama at its heart. A twisting tale of love, loss and dark family secrets.” — Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water
“A satisfying hybrid of mystery and family drama.” — People
“Searching for Sylvie Lee is riveting. A dazzling, talented woman disappears, leading her younger sister to search the Netherlands—and the past—for the truth. This novel is part mystery, part saga of an immigrant family. It is both gripping and emotionally resonant on every page—a remarkable achievement.” — Scott Turow, New York Times bestselling author of Testimony
“Kwok’s story spans generations, continents and language barriers, combining old-fashioned Nancy Drew sleuthing with the warmth and heart we’ve come to expect from this gifted writer.” — New York Times Book Review
“I couldn’t help but continue to read to figure out where she was and what happened to her. You can’t put it down!” — Jenna Bush Hager, Today Show Book Club Pick
“Her book explores the mirage of the American Dream. Sylvie seems to have made it in every sense of the word, but Kwok’s story asks: What is the price of realizing this dream? And who must pay it?” — New York Times
“I was only about two-thirds of the way through Jean Kwok’s Searching For Sylvie Lee when I began telling everyone I know: “I’ve found this book, you need to read it.”... This is a story like no other.” — Marie Claire
“Piercing, inventive novel...” — O, The Oprah Magazine
“A moving tale that, while billed as a mystery, transcends the genre….. This is a beautifully written story in which the author evokes the hard reality of being an immigrant and a woman in today’s world.” — Washington Post
“Searching for Sylvie Lee is so much more than a globe-trotting suspense novel—it’s a moving portrait of the unintended consequences that stem from an immigrant family’s efforts to adapt, survive, and provide their children with a better future.” — Harper’s Bazaar
“More than a simple suspense tale of a missing young woman, this novel explores the complicated dynamics of immigrant families and the universal quest for belonging and identity.” — Town & Country
“Searching for Sylvie Lee is part mystery, part emotional drama, and the book you need in your beach bag this summer.” — Popsugar
“Kwok isn’t interested in playing out the conventions of the genre, instead opting for a narrative structure that focuses on the missing woman and the sister who searches for her, both of whom must face questions of identity and justice in a complicated, hybridized world that offers no easy answers.” — Thrillist
“This compelling mystery will scoop you up from page one and won’t let go until the very end.... Come for the mystery surrounding Sylvie’s disappearance, and stay for Kwok’s empathetic and masterful exploration of the painful choices one family makes to survive.” — Daily Beast
“This powerful novel is a must-read.” — Women.com
“Kwok tells this story of an immigrant family with lucidity and compassion… a profoundly moving portrayal of the complicated identities that exist even within a single family… a graceful portrait of the sacrifices we make for love.” — Nylon
“Kwok tells this story of an immigrant family with lucidity and compassion… a profoundly moving portrayal of the complicated identities that exist even within a single family… a graceful portrait of the sacrifices we make for love.” — Nylon Magazine, “50 Books You’ll Want To Read In 2019”
“Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok is a mystery about a daughter’s disappearance that will have you on the edge of your beach chair.” — theSkimm
“A dazzling display of the unique bonds among women, mothers and daughters. It’s a suspenseful read detailing what happens when the oldest daughter in a Chinese immigrant family disappears.” — CNN.com
“Masterfully written, this suspenseful story of two sisters, and the power of long-buried secrets, is also a profound exploration of one immigrant family’s search for identity and belonging in an increasingly global world. Searching for Sylvie Lee will haunt me for a long time.” — Sari Wilson, acclaimed author of Girl Through Glass
“Dazzling. A heartbreaking, tumultuous ride of a novel that upends our expectations—about family loyalty, cultural identity and the very nature of love itself—at every twist and turn. Kwok is a wise and knowing story-teller who keeps us under her spell until the very last page.” — Julie Otsuka, New York Times bestselling author of The Buddha in the Attic
“This isn’t a novel––it’s a puzzle box of familial secrets, some dark, others luminous, all of it haunting, mysterious, and completely satisfying. I was utterly spellbound.” — Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
“Deftly moving between generations and from New York to the Netherlands, Searching for Sylvie Lee is a page-turner, and a suspenseful journey of secrets, family, loyalty, and loss.” — Lisa Ko, award-winning author of The Leavers
“With prose as mesmerizing and full of depth as a perfect pearl, Kwok’s new literary masterwork explores the Chinese immigrant experience both in New York and in Holland, but what it’s really getting at is what it means for anyone to belong—to both your community, your family, and to yourself.” — Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beautiful World
“A wonderful portrait of an immigrant family and one of the best ‘unputdownable’ suspense novels I’ve read in a long time.” — Herman Koch, New York Times bestselling author of The Dinner
“Crossing continents and generations, this magnificent and enthralling story unfolds with the intricate suspense of a classic mystery novel and blooms into a radiant tale of inter-generational family love.” — Lan Samantha Chang, award-winning author of Inheritance
“A compelling story of how the unsaid can powerfully shape families and lives… Sharply observed, with a plot as unpredictable as its moody Dutch landscape, Kwok’s novel is a powerful meditation on loss, identity and belonging.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“[Kwok’s] sharp and surprising language transports readers across the globe on a breathless and emotionally complex journey. Excellent from every angle, this is a can’t-miss novel for lovers of poignant and propulsive fiction.” — Booklist (starred review)
“A favorite of Paula Hawkins, this literary novel will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions this summer. A must-read for fans of Celeste Ng.” — She Reads
New York Times
Her book explores the mirage of the American Dream. Sylvie seems to have made it in every sense of the word, but Kwok’s story asks: What is the price of realizing this dream? And who must pay it?
Jenna Bush Hager
I couldn’t help but continue to read to figure out where she was and what happened to her. You can’t put it down!”
New York Times Book Review
Kwok’s story spans generations, continents and language barriers, combining old-fashioned Nancy Drew sleuthing with the warmth and heart we’ve come to expect from this gifted writer.
Marie Claire
I was only about two-thirds of the way through Jean Kwok’s Searching For Sylvie Lee when I began telling everyone I know: “I’ve found this book, you need to read it.”... This is a story like no other.
The Oprah Magazine O
Piercing, inventive novel...
Harper’s Bazaar
Searching for Sylvie Lee is so much more than a globe-trotting suspense novel—it’s a moving portrait of the unintended consequences that stem from an immigrant family’s efforts to adapt, survive, and provide their children with a better future.
Scott Turow
Searching for Sylvie Lee is riveting. A dazzling, talented woman disappears, leading her younger sister to search the Netherlands—and the past—for the truth. This novel is part mystery, part saga of an immigrant family. It is both gripping and emotionally resonant on every page—a remarkable achievement.
People
A satisfying hybrid of mystery and family drama.
Paula Hawkins
Like all most compelling mysteries, Jean Kwok’s Searching for Sylvie Lee has a powerful emotional drama at its heart. A twisting tale of love, loss and dark family secrets.
Washington Post
A moving tale that, while billed as a mystery, transcends the genre….. This is a beautifully written story in which the author evokes the hard reality of being an immigrant and a woman in today’s world.
Nylon Magazine
Kwok tells this story of an immigrant family with lucidity and compassion… a profoundly moving portrayal of the complicated identities that exist even within a single family… a graceful portrait of the sacrifices we make for love.
Thrillist
Kwok isn’t interested in playing out the conventions of the genre, instead opting for a narrative structure that focuses on the missing woman and the sister who searches for her, both of whom must face questions of identity and justice in a complicated, hybridized world that offers no easy answers.”
Caroline Leavitt
With prose as mesmerizing and full of depth as a perfect pearl, Kwok’s new literary masterwork explores the Chinese immigrant experience both in New York and in Holland, but what it’s really getting at is what it means for anyone to belong—to both your community, your family, and to yourself.
Jamie Ford
This isn’t a novel––it’s a puzzle box of familial secrets, some dark, others luminous, all of it haunting, mysterious, and completely satisfying. I was utterly spellbound.
Nylon
Kwok tells this story of an immigrant family with lucidity and compassion… a profoundly moving portrayal of the complicated identities that exist even within a single family… a graceful portrait of the sacrifices we make for love.”
Daily Beast
This compelling mystery will scoop you up from page one and won’t let go until the very end.... Come for the mystery surrounding Sylvie’s disappearance, and stay for Kwok’s empathetic and masterful exploration of the painful choices one family makes to survive.
Women.com
This powerful novel is a must-read.
Lan Samantha Chang
Crossing continents and generations, this magnificent and enthralling story unfolds with the intricate suspense of a classic mystery novel and blooms into a radiant tale of inter-generational family love.
theSkimm
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok is a mystery about a daughter’s disappearance that will have you on the edge of your beach chair.
Sari Wilson
Masterfully written, this suspenseful story of two sisters, and the power of long-buried secrets, is also a profound exploration of one immigrant family’s search for identity and belonging in an increasingly global world. Searching for Sylvie Lee will haunt me for a long time.
She Reads
A favorite of Paula Hawkins, this literary novel will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions this summer. A must-read for fans of Celeste Ng.
Shelf Awareness (starred review)
A compelling story of how the unsaid can powerfully shape families and lives… Sharply observed, with a plot as unpredictable as its moody Dutch landscape, Kwok’s novel is a powerful meditation on loss, identity and belonging.
Julie Otsuka
Dazzling. A heartbreaking, tumultuous ride of a novel that upends our expectations—about family loyalty, cultural identity and the very nature of love itself—at every twist and turn. Kwok is a wise and knowing story-teller who keeps us under her spell until the very last page.
Herman Koch
A wonderful portrait of an immigrant family and one of the best ‘unputdownable’ suspense novels I’ve read in a long time.
Booklist (starred review)
[Kwok’s] sharp and surprising language transports readers across the globe on a breathless and emotionally complex journey. Excellent from every angle, this is a can’t-miss novel for lovers of poignant and propulsive fiction.”
CNN.com
A dazzling display of the unique bonds among women, mothers and daughters. It’s a suspenseful read detailing what happens when the oldest daughter in a Chinese immigrant family disappears.
Town & Country
More than a simple suspense tale of a missing young woman, this novel explores the complicated dynamics of immigrant families and the universal quest for belonging and identity.
Popsugar
Searching for Sylvie Lee is part mystery, part emotional drama, and the book you need in your beach bag this summer.
Lisa Ko
Deftly moving between generations and from New York to the Netherlands, Searching for Sylvie Lee is a page-turner, and a suspenseful journey of secrets, family, loyalty, and loss.
Washington Post
A moving tale that, while billed as a mystery, transcends the genre….. This is a beautifully written story in which the author evokes the hard reality of being an immigrant and a woman in today’s world.
Town &Country
More than a simple suspense tale of a missing young woman, this novel explores the complicated dynamics of immigrant families and the universal quest for belonging and identity.
Harper's Bazaar
Searching for Sylvie Lee is so much more than a globe-trotting suspense novel—it’s a moving portrait of the unintended consequences that stem from an immigrant family’s efforts to adapt, survive, and provide their children with a better future.
“The 34 Best New Books to Put in Your Beach Popsugar
Searching for Sylvie Lee is part mystery, part emotional drama, and the book you need in your beach bag this summer.”
Shelf Awareness Pro
A compelling story of how the unsaid can powerfully shape families and lives… Sharply observed, with a plot as unpredictable as its moody Dutch landscape, Kwok’s novel is a powerful meditation on loss, identity and belonging
JUNE 2019 - AudioFile
Three talented narrators portray three women whose stories draw the listener into this mystery. Sylvie Lee disappears while she is visiting Holland to be with her dying grandmother. Narrator Angela Lin portrays Sylvie, and Samantha Quan her younger sister, Amy; both capture the characters’ individual personalities as presented by Kwok. However, Caroline McLaughlin’s performance as their mother has no accent—even though the daughters refer more than once to her challenges with English, an inconsistency that is jarring to the listener. Kwok takes on many serious issues including the immigrant experience, sexism, and dysfunctional family relationships. She provides texture to her story with aphorisms, rich descriptions, and slowly unwinding reveals. Listeners will appreciate the insights but may find the ending a bit far-fetched. E.Q. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2019-02-18
A Chinese family spanning the U.S. and the Netherlands grapples with the disappearance of one of their own.
Twenty-six-year-old Amy Lee is living in her parents' cramped Queens apartment when she gets a frantic call from Lukas Tan, the Dutch second cousin she's never met. Her successful older sister, Sylvie, who had flown to the Netherlands to see their ailing grandmother, is missing. Amy's questions only mount as she looks into Sylvie's disappearance. Why does Sylvie's husband, Jim, look so bedraggled when Amy tracks him down, and why are all his belongings missing from the Brooklyn Heights apartment he and Sylvie share? Why is Sylvie no longer employed by her high-powered consulting firm? And when Amy finally musters up the courage to travel to the Netherlands for the first time, why do her relatives—the Tan family, including Lukas and his parents, Helena and Willem—act so strangely whenever Sylvie is brought up? Amy's search is interlaced with chapters from Sylvie's point of view from a month earlier as she returns to the Netherlands, where she had been sent as a baby by parents who couldn't afford to keep her, to be raised by the Tans. As Amy navigates fraught police visits and her own rising fears, she gradually uncovers the family's deepest secrets, some of them decades old. Though the novel is rife with romantic entanglements and revelations that wouldn't be amiss in a soap opera, its emotional core is the bond between the Lee sisters, one of mutual devotion and a tinge of envy. Their intertwined relationship is mirrored in the novel's structure—their alternating chapters, separated in time and space, echo each other. Both ride the same bike through the Tans' village, both encounter the same dashing cellist. Kwok (Mambo in Chinatown, 2014, etc.), who lives in the Netherlands, is eloquent on the clumsy, overt racism Chinese people face there: "Sometimes I think that because we Dutch believe we are so emancipated, we become blind to the faults in ourselves," one of her characters says. But the book is a meditation not just on racism, but on (not) belonging: "When you were different," Sylvie thinks, "who knew if it was because of a lack of social graces or the language barrier or your skin color?"
A frank look at the complexities of family, race and culture.
