A Quitter's Paradise

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I saved so many piercing quotes from this book that I’ll be referring back to, and I can’t wait for this book to find its readers.

On the one hand, I definitely resonated with Eleanor as a child, growing up in an immigrant household and the struggles that came with it, as well as the tenuous relationship with her mother that shaped who she became as an adult — much of it was familiar to me, as I had experienced similar struggles in my own life. As Eleanor’s avoidance of her feelings results in a series of outrageous—often hilarious—choices, her actions begin to threaten all she holds most dear.

Overall I enjoyed this book, I just wished the timeline was a bit more defined or linear (personal preference, of course). If the son (who remains unnamed) will only read Lito’s letters, he will gain this terrific inside scoop. A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. I can’t say this enough: you don’t have to like the characters or their choices or think they’re good people for a book to be worth your time.

A masterpiece that wrangles several lifetimes of wisdom, loss, and heartbreak into a slim novel you can clutch to your chest, pass on to your sharpest, most mercurial friends, and say: read this, feel this!

It’s not necessary to have read Dickens’ famous novel to appreciate Kingsolver’s absorbing tale, but those who have will savor the tough-minded changes she rings on his Victorian sentimentality while affirming his stinging critique of a heartless society. Growing up, Eleanor learned to be quiet and obedient, immersing herself in schoolwork and reading (similar to how the ancient scholars immersed themselves in their studies) — not because she particularly enjoyed either activity, but because that was the only way she could be left alone. Elysha Chang’s debut novel A Quitter’s Paradise is an interesting story about a Chinese-American woman named Eleanor who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and self-reflection after her mother dies.