River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure-A 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist Review 

Hey Gretchen! Great review! I also rated this about 3.5 stars. I wouldn't have selected it for the shortlist but I did really enjoy it overall. I think both Alva and Slone were written one dimensional. Slone was almost a caricature and you never saw the connection between her and her daughter. I think that was a miss. I also was more interested in Lu Fangs narrative and history. Some of what I love best about the book were the ideas. The "alienation" effect mentioned by the DVD seller and how that relates to Alva as she fakes her personality and assumes a new identity almost. It could have been a really cool revelation if we had seen Slone in action and Alva mirroring that. Also, the book reminded me of some of my favorite Chinese movies. "To Live" and "Farewell My Concubine" are absolutely must watch movies but bring the Kleenex. I know you are a film buff, have you seen either of them?

I so appreciate your reviews. This book just came up for me on Libby. I’m looking forward to reading it.

Thanks, Gretchen!🌷I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions about this book, but it’s still one of those on the WPF longlist which interest me most. Now I’m definitely going to read it!

Sounds like an interesting read. I think I would probably also enjoy the man's narrative more.