Expatriates, The
Lee, Janice Y KHowever exotic the setting, no one is immune from life's curveballs. Such is the experience of three American women living in Hong Kong. At different life stages and circumstances, Mercy, Hilary and Margaret must each wrestle with loss and change, their lives intertwined in the insular expat community.
Invigorated by the cultural divide and the trials of expatriate living and anchored by the universal experience of family and motherhood, this is a keenly observed story of contemporary Hong Kong. [Larger font]
Pages
330
330
Year
2016
2016
Reviews
15-09-2022
An excellent story - beautifully written and evocative of life in Hong Kong. Well constructed plot and intriguing characters. Highly recommended.
22-08-2022
Mixed reviews about this book, but we did feel it dealt very well with the emotions of losing a child in this way.
18-08-2021
A couple of us have lived as expats in China and found parts of this book uncannily similar to things we had seen. Some of us loved it. Others thought the characters were all unlikeable and the story depressing.
07-10-2020
Enjoyed the characters (female) and the insights into the expatriate world of Hong Kong. One of our group experienced this life for a few years, and she felt the author captured the underlying social tension and anxiety well. The ending was a disappointment to many.
11-08-2020
Everyone enjoyed this book. We commented that we wondered what expatriate life would be like in Hong Kong at present, and in the future.
06-11-2019
We were fortunate to have two members of our group who had lived an expat life, so that enlivened our discussion. This multi-layered story is a joy, everyone was positive about the plot, the style and the wry observations made by the characters as they lived through the challenges life brings.
09-10-2019
Our small group of four today all really enjoyed this book. It was a well-written description of the journeys and interactions in the lives of three women living in Hong Kong, and the way they faced the tragedy and challenges of their time there.
12-08-2019
Easy to read. Interesting view of an ex-pat community. Mixed reactions to this one. Good to see women as the main characters, but not really well-developed. Didn't make anyone want to live in this type of ex-pat community.
12-08-2019
Our small group of four today all enjoyed this book. It was a well-written description of the journeys and interaction in the lives of three women living in Hong Kong, and the way they faced the tragedy and challenges of their time there.
04-07-2019
There were just 7 at our meeting, and of these three loved the book with its clear insights into the lives of the expat women, and their varying trials and tribulations. The other four were not impressed with the book's theme or its characters, agreeing that the women and the plot seemed contrived and quite dull. But lots of discussion as you can imagine! The notes were very good, we all agreed!!
04-07-2019
Our group thought the book well-written. Characters sounded real, but not necessarily likeable people. An interesting and readable book.
04-07-2019
An interesting read.
04-07-2019
This book was generally enjoyed by everyone although we felt it was a bit lightweight. We prefer books that are a bit more challenging.
04-07-2019
All those present who had read the book had been pleased they had read it. Opinions varied, one thought it a very sad story. Some found the ending too contrived. A lot of discussion took place, and many are looking to read more by the author.