American Santa

By: Vanessa Hua

Narrated by: Cindy Kay

Length: 1 hr and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Rivals since childhood, Fang and Lian both leave their village in China in search of fortune and adventure. After reuniting in a factory city, when Fang’s grandmother falls ill, they hatch a plan to win the sympathies of an American online. When he replies, Lian secretly masquerades as Fang in a gripping story of friendship, love, and betrayal. 

©2021 Vanessa Hua (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

Interesting twist ending that guys won't like.

Good character development along with insight about Chinese life and how they view us in America.

I can see that happening

Makes me wonder if Fain really was there or if she was just an alter ego. Either way, as a hopeless romantic the story ended wrong for me

Good

But it just sort of ended I wish that they had given it a better ending

Bittersweet Ending

This story highlights the range of differences and expectations that can exist between cultures as well as among families. I always like endings that made me wish there was more, or that make me wonder what actually became of the characters after the book ends, but I think in my heart, I already knew. Cindy Kay gives a good performance - her narration was so soft, almost a whisper - that it convinced me she was telling me the story to me in person.

Short story hidden gem

WOW, surprisingly emotionally packed short story with a subtle hint of darkness. it was a simple concept but executed perfectly by both author and performer. The story is strong in the interactions of the characters and it shows how small events can have an impact on lives and last a lifetime. Beautifully written and performed, it is just one story of these characters but I wanted more. Hopefully there will be future installments. This is the type of story that keeps you thinking after you are finished.

Well read

SPOILER ALERT!!!
The story definitely shown on some cultural tendencies. The ending though... ouch...so unexpected. I wonder if that's a cultural thing too.

Great, interesting, deeply moving story. So well told.

Vanessa Hua’s does an amazing job of writing interesting, full characters and a great story, so that we can understand what it’s like to grow up and to live in poverty. To be so poor that your parents can’t even live with you. They have to live far away in the city to make money, so that the family can survive.

Vanessa Hua does such a great job writing about what illness, love and poverty can bring people to do. She writes well of the idea, the dream, of America when you live in poverty in another country.

It is such a strong talent to make us feel deeply about her characters and the reality of the situations that they find themselves in.

My great grandmother’s family did not have enough food to survive on, so when she was 14 she came from Ireland as an indentured servant.

When i read the review about American Santa that said, “Terrible story of simply nothing. A disappointing read and a waste of time.” I was angry!

To read a story about living in poverty, the decisions that can be forced because of it and the things that can happen because of it (even living or dying) and to then write a review to say that it is a “story of simply nothing... a waste of time,” that’s horrid!

It would take a massive lack of empathy and lack of understanding and caring outside yourself to read/listen to a story about the difficulty and pain of poverty and write that it is a “story of simply nothing.”

I was really taken with how talented this author, Vanessa Hua, is and by the characters she created and the interesting, deeply moving story she told and the understanding and insight i gained from it. Well done.

I’m going to go read/listen to another book by Vanessa Hua.

Good But Abrupt Ending

Cindy Kay was a very engaging narrator. I enjoyed the writing of this story story but felt the ending to abrupt and not enough reward for my time listening.

Very disappointed in the ending

I was very disappointed in the ending. It was as if she got tired of writing the book and just stopped. . It could’ve been good. She should finish it

Engaging but not satisfying

It's an engaging story but it's not a satisfying ending. I suspect that's what the author was going for, but be warned. Lots of questions and loose ends.