Counterfeit

A Novel

By: Kirstin Chen

Narrated by: Catherine Ho

Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

“A con artist story, a pop-feminist caper, a fashionable romp . . . Counterfeit is an entertaining, luxurious read—but beneath its glitz and flash, it is also a shrewd deconstruction of the American dream and the myth of the model minority. . . . Chen is up to something innovative and subversive here." — Camille Perri, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Recommended by New York Times Book Review • Washington Post • People • Entertainment Weekly • USA Today • Time • Cosmopolitan • Today show • Harper’s Bazaar • Vogue • Good Housekeeping • Parade • New York Post • Town & Country • GMA.com • Buzzfeed • Goodreads • Oprah Daily • Popsugar • Bustle • theSkimm • The Millions • and more!

For fans of Hustlers and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, the story of two Asian American women who band together to grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a global enterprise—an incisive and glittering blend of fashion, crime, and friendship from the author of Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners.

Money can’t buy happiness… but it can buy a decent fake.

Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home—she’s built the perfect life. But beneath this façade, Ava’s world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn’t been used in years, and her toddler’s tantrums are pushing her to the breaking point.

Enter Winnie Fang, Ava’s enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, twenty years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. But the shy, awkward girl Ava once knew has been replaced with a confident woman of the world, dripping in luxury goods, including a coveted Birkin in classic orange. The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business—someone who’d never be suspected of wrongdoing, someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left to face the consequences.

Swift, surprising, and sharply comic, Counterfeit is a stylish and feminist caper with a strong point of view and an axe to grind. Peering behind the curtain of the upscale designer storefronts and the Chinese factories where luxury goods are produced, Kirstin Chen interrogates the myth of the model minority through two unforgettable women determined to demand more from life.

"If you appreciate a good caper, you’ll want to pick up Kirstin Chen’s novel . . . Fast-paced and fun, with smart commentary on the cultural differences between Asia and America." — TIME

“Propulsive and captivating . . . A provocative story of fashion, friendship, and fakes (in more ways than one).” — VOGUE

©2022 Kirstin Chen (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Loved the characters

I fell in love with the characters and felt for them as they were trying to just provide for their families. The descriptions of the bags were amazing like I could reach out and touch them or smell them! could not stop listening. Listen if. you want to be taken on a journey of passion and family values

A review from a native Palo. Altan.

I found this book to be entertaining and that was all I was looking for. Yes, there were cliches. Yes there were predictable plot turns. But the only thing that irked me was the way the reader pronounced Palo Alto, like there was a pause between the two words. People in the Bay Area never pause between Palo and Alto, and if it wasn’t a pause, there was something else off about it. I know, it seems petty but it’s something that somebody who would have spent 4 years at Stanford would have gotten right. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Clever and entertaining

Clever story, and wonderful performance. I look forward to more from both the author and performer.

Part mystery, part crime drama

This book was fabulous! I was so engrossed. The main plot, i.e. the counterfeit handbag empire, was compelling and dramatic, but even the mundane (in comparison) life of the main character's marriage and parenthood were easy to connect with and felt equally important to the story and interesting.
The narration is excellent. It's expressive, clear, and the narrator is perfect for the part.
Overall, I recommend! This book kept me on the edge of my seat.

The Fashionista Daymare

"Counterfeit" by Kirstin Chen, narrated by Catherine Ho deliciously questions the very basis of worth, casting doubt on the basis of modern consumerism. A must read whether you are a fashionista or not.

Great story

Good narrative a fast “read really loved the narration as well so funny to listen to

Not too complicated— but well told!

I liked the way the story jumped around and kept it interesting— a pretty straight forward plot- but twisted nicely. - cozy cabin book or day trip listen in the car.

There was never a dull moment

There was never a dull moment. The writer is very adept at building the characters and helping you to see through the eyes of themselves and their culture. I love the Imagery. I love the suspense, the adventure, the unexpected turn of events..... I just loved this book. Looking forward to more from this Author, The voice and drama of the narrator was perfect for the story.

Fun!

enjoyable friendship story with an edge. Liked the characters, would only give more thought to the way motherhood is handled.

Materialistic and Depressing

I found the characters difficult to enjoy. They are selfish and materialistic. A depressing read.