Women, Seated by Zhang Yueran: A Quiet Collapse in the Shadow of Power, ARC review

Book: Women, Seated

Author: Zhang Yueran

Ttranslated by: Jeremy Tiang

Pages: 208

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Genre: Literary fiction, Political Thriller, Translated Literature

Synopsis:

From the award-winning author, an enthralling novel about the unravelling lives of a nanny and the family she works for following the downfall of its patriarch, a prominent Chinese politician

Enter the world of an elite Chinese a life of luxury, limitless power, and around-the-clock service, which includes their trusted nanny Yu Ling. Slipping in and out of the shadows, careful to speak deferentially, meticulous in her care of their only son Kuan Kuan, Yu has served the family for years and knows their secrets. But little do they suspect that Yu has secrets of her own.

In the pressure-cooker political environment of China, the fates of even the most powerful families can reverse overnight. When Kuan Kuan’s father and grandfather are arrested and his socialite mother goes on the run, Yu is left behind to make a series of life-changing choices. Will she be able to outrun her own past, and how far will she go to claim what she considers her due?

Review:

This book??? Whispered its way into my bones and then refused to leave. Like, genuinely—I’m days removed and still looking at walls thinking about it.

Zhang Yueran masterfully drops us into the ruins of a powerful Beijing family, seen through the eyes of Yu Ling, a nanny who’s been invisible her whole life—until now. When the family's men are swallowed up in a political corruption scandal, Yu Ling is left with nothing… except for one fragile child and one completely unhinged goose.

And let me just say—Kuan Kuan?? My soft little emotional wrecking ball. His unbreakable bond with Yu Ling, the way he never doubts her, even when everything around him is screaming betrayal? That pure, quiet trust had me TEARING UP. In a house filled with secrets, lies, and silence, this child gives her something real—something she didn’t even know she needed.

Their dynamic isn’t overdone. It’s not sentimental. It’s just… true. And the way Yu Ling shoulders all that emotional weight while still protecting him, comforting him, trying to help him understand without breaking him? It’s motherhood in its rawest, most invisible form.

And yes. A goose, named Swan... can't blame Kuan Kuan, the do look quite similar...

And no, Swan is not just a random bird. It's an agent of pure chaos and emotional metaphor. It hisses. It bites. It gets involved in deeply sensitive moments like it owns the place. And somehow?? It works. As every icon, the goose had it own epic ending...

It's maybe comic relief, but also this bizarre, perfect symbolism of everything falling apart. There are a few moments where Kuan Kuan is talking to or refering to the goose but it fells like so much more than just a lonely kid talking to his new favorite bird. Like, the rich have lost control of their house and their pets. It’s giving “the center cannot hold” with feathers.

But back to the heart of the story, Yu Ling and Kuan Kuan. Their relationship is EVERYTHING. The way this child clings to her with an unwavering trust that no adult in the story deserves? It wrecked me. He doesn't care about politics or money or status—he just wants her. And she doesn’t think she’s worthy of that kind of devotion, but she still holds him tight anyway. Ugh. My poor  heart.

And while the house crumbles around her, Yu Ling experiences both betrayal and connection. There are moments of kindness from people she never expected. New friendships forming not from joy but necessity—and yet they still mean something. These aren’t happy friendships to be accurate but they’re survival bonds. They’re the kind you don’t realize meant everything until it’s too late. 

And yes, there are betrayals too. Ugly ones. The kind that aren’t shocking so much as they are disappointingly human. But even in the chaos, there are flickers of community, loyalty, and dignity. She’s no longer just surviving—she’s reclaiming something. 

But let's talk about the elephant in the room: THAT ENDING.

Bro. I don’t even know. I saw the callback, I connected the dots, but I still don’t get it. 

I finished the last page like 😐. Then reread it like 😳. Then stared at the wall like 🧍‍♀️. I know it circles back to something from earlier. I see the connection. But what does it MEAN?? Why does it feel like both a full stop and a question mark and maybe also a comma idk??? Even days later, I’ve got zero closure, infinite vibes, and one (1) emotional breakdown pending. Zhang doesn’t explain. She just… leaves you with it. And honestly? Power move.I still can’t figure out if it was brilliant, devastating, or just completely unhinged. Probably all three. Zhang Yueran said “closure is for the weak,” and I respect that—but also I need therapy now, thanks.

Major love to Jeremy Tiang, whose translation delivers all the precision and ache of Zhang’s prose while still letting the tension breathe. 

Quick Hits:

— Emotional caretaker energy

— Tiny child with unshakable loyalty

— Elite downfall but it’s slow and silent

— New friendships built in the rubble

— One chaotic goose that *absolutely* deserves a spin-off(imagine a book from swan's perspective, omg)

— Ending that will emotionally gaslight you for weeks

Have aneak peak at some quotes from "Women, Seated" on my Instagram acc, here.

From caliper stabs to connection: The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang, a book review

 Title: The Satisfaction Cafe

Author: Kathy Wang

Number of Pages: 352

Publishing Date: 1 July 2025

Genre:  Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction 

Synopsis:

Joan Liang’s life is a series of surprising developments: She never thought she would leave Taiwan for California, nor did she expect her first marriage to implode—especially as quickly and spectacularly as it did. She definitely did not expect to fall in love with and marry an older, wealthy American and have children with him. Through all this she wrestles with one persistent question: Will she ever feel truly satisfied?

As Joan and her children grow older and their circumstances evolve, she makes a drastic change by opening the Satisfaction Café, a place where people can visit for a bit of conversation and to be heard and understood. Through this radical yet pragmatic business, Joan constructs a lasting legacy.

Review:

The Satisfaction Café is a beautifully written, bittersweet journey through one woman’s life—from a caliper stabbing to creating a café of human connection. It’s got humor, heart, and subtle critiques of privilege. If you’re into quiet literary novels about identity and found family, this one’s a major win.

I was just 2 to 3 chapters into the book when I realized that this book is going to leave a very strong impact on me and I might have to write a full blog review about it instead of just a small Instagram book review. So, lo and behold, here I am.

The Satisfaction Café follows Joan Liang, a Chinese immigrant who arrives at Stanford in the '70s, escapes a less-than-ideal marriage (via an accidental caliper stabbing, no less), and slowly builds a new life in America with a new but white and old husband, Bill. But this isn’t your typical immigrant struggle narrative—it’s smarter, messier, funnier, and deeply real. Kathy Wang crafts a brilliant character study spanning decades, weaving through class, culture, family expectations, womanhood, and the weird, isolating noise of privilege.

This book has the softest core wrapped in razor-sharp wit. Kathy Wang hasn't just written characters—she dissected them. All the characters in the book (specially Joan) are so layered and flawed and human, and I swear I saw bits of myself in their stubbornness, longing, quiet fights to stay afloat in a world that demands so much without offering the same back.

It’s also one of the few books I’ve read where satire doesn’t cancel out sincerity. It talks about cheating spouses that are everywhere around the world, whether that be your own father or husband. It pokes fun at elite, tech-adjacent Bay Area society, but it also deeply explores loneliness, grief, and how women—especially immigrant women—carry so much generational weight without ever being handed the tools to unpack it. How mothers give their all and still the only thought that roams their brain when the end is near, is "did I do the right things?", "Are my children happy with this life?", "I gave everyone all the care and love they deserve but would I become a burden if I want them to reciprocate that now?".

Also, that café? THE café?? It doesn’t even appear until later in the book, but when it does, it’s like the emotional thesis finally blossoms. The café isn’t about food. It’s about people listening, finally, with no expectation.

This is the kind of book that creeps up on you and then lives rent-free in your soul. It’s full of messy family dynamics, unspoken grief, hard-earned wisdom, and women just trying. I couldn’t stop highlighting passages. I couldn’t stop crying. I don’t even know how to write a “proper” review for it because it’s one of those books that becomes a feeling instead of a story

If you’re a fan of layered literary fiction with a lot of heart, biting commentary, and a touch of chaos—The Satisfaction Café is your next obsession.

 

Should You Read It?

If you vibe with character-driven sagas, cross-cultural storytelling, satirical takes on wealth/power, and lifelong arcs with emotional payoffs. The Satisfaction Cafe is more about voice and vibe than plot twists—it’s gentle, introspective, and slow.