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.