Days of Distraction

A Novel

De: Alexandra Chang

Narrado por: Greta Jung

Days of Distraction has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Ambivalent

Struggled to get through this book. Felt the author jumpedfrom topic to topic without segues. Didn't like the protagonist and how she interacted with her boyfriend or her father.

The history is interesting.

Some of the history is interesting but the main character seemed lazy and complaining most of the time which was tiresome to me.

Loved this book

I liked the way the author intertwines Chinese American stories of the past and present with her own family life. I also loved how much her boyfriend, who is not Chinese but is revered by her family, and her own nuclear family meant to her despite at times having family members who do not communicate with each other.

Not a fan of the narrator

“Days Of Distraction” by Alexandra Chang has garnered much publicity and recommendations, and deservingly so. It’s billed as a “coming-of-adulthood” story which is indeed part of it. It’s a story of a woman in her early twenties following her beloved from San Francisco to Ithaca NY. But she’s not blindly following him, she questions her relationship with him and how following him could affect her career. She’s not happy in her current job and looks forward to making a change. Yet is this right for her?’

What I enjoyed was her quiet contemplations. She includes historical tidbits, generally about race and interactional relationships. I listened to the Audible production, read by Greta Jung. I was not a fan of Jung’s performance. To me, she was wooden and far from dramatic. I wish I would have read the story because I’m a visual learner, and there is so much information and insights piled in this novel that I wanted to see the words written. I needed to rewind the narrative many times.

This is an engaging story of a young woman growing into adulthood, and not blindly. Yes, she’s confused; yes, she’s searching. I enjoyed her emotional and intellectual deliberations. I suggest reading this one.