Homeseeking: A GMA Book Club Pick

By: Karissa Chen

Narrated by: Katharine Chin, Kenneth Lee

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

“Sweeping and epic…An impactful love story, told against the backdrop of historical events…One of the best debut novels of this century.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Like any tried-and-true epic (think “Pachinko” or “The Joy Luck Club”… Homeseeking is just a genuine pleasure to read.”—San Francisco Chronicle

A single choice can define an entire life.

Haiwen is buying bananas at a 99 Ranch Market in Los Angeles when he looks up and sees Suchi, his Suchi, for the first time in sixty years. To recently widowed Haiwen it feels like a second chance, but Suchi has only survived by refusing to look back.

Suchi was seven when she first met Haiwen in their Shanghai neighborhood, drawn by the sound of his violin. Their childhood friendship blossomed into soul-deep love, but when Haiwen secretly enlisted in the Nationalist army in 1947 to save his brother from the draft, she was left with just his violin and a note: Forgive me.

Homeseeking follows the separated lovers through six decades of tumultuous Chinese history as war, famine, and opportunity take them separately to the song halls of Hong Kong, the military encampments of Taiwan, the bustling streets of New York, and sunny California, telling Haiwen’s story from the present to the past while tracing Suchi’s from her childhood to the present, meeting in the crucible of their lives. Throughout, Haiwen holds his memories close while Suchi forces herself to look only forward, neither losing sight of the home they hold in their hearts.

At once epic and intimate, Homeseeking is a story of family, sacrifice, and loyalty, and of the power of love to endure beyond distance, beyond time.



* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains notes from the book.

Beautiful

Beautiful story amazing narration my favorite book this year ! If you enjoy a wonderful historical novel with excellent characters and gifted writing you will love this

Great Book!

Enjoyed this historical fiction book about the Cultural Revolution. Excellent readers! I learned a lot about life at that time.

Poignant

This book was the very definition of poignant. It's a great story that crosses oceans, time zones and, lives. It's a great read.

Wonderful character development an incredibly detailed history

I enjoyed all of it! It was a beautiful novel filled with both tragedy and hope!

What a beautiful story!

The storytelling in this novel is wonderful! Detailed and rich, but never boring. I love the way the author describes an attempt to go back home, I have experienced the same emotions when I did the same. I love that the story looks at different ways of being brave. The narration is wonderful, and I very much appreciated being able to hear the words pronounced.

60years of relationship

The fortune teller: yuanfen between suqi and haiwen
The night before haiwen enrolled in the army, it made me burst into tears;
Hong Kong: when suqi met haiwen again, she was supposed to kill herself but surprisingly met him. The reunion made me cry. And because haiwen’s marriage, suqi decided to move on and go back to reality. And she handed over her choice to others and stopped fighting ever since.
I am glad they reunited in la and decided to make up the time together. No label, just suqi and haiwen. Just them. No word can describe them.

Surprisingly good

I only read this bec i had to for school but it was pretty good. i like the narrator a lot

How the story was told

Great listen. A beautiful love story. Optimistic yet heartbreaking, written and unfolds in an interesting way.

Wonderful story

Loved the depth of the characters, learning about the different languages within the different areas of the countries and the Asian history. Highly recommend

Tender and true

Beautifully crafted story of two people trying to live out their dreams in the midst of devastating political turmoil. The writing and reading was exquisite. I loved how Hakeem’s story went from present to past and intersected with Suchi’s story which was told from the past to the present. Themes are: love, loyalty, impossible choices, the consequences of those choices, the power and fragility of music and art and strength of family. I wish the ending had brought resolution to Suchi and Haiwen, but maybe the mother’s story is a foreshadowing of what may come for them.