Mambo in Chinatown

A Novel

By: Jean Kwok

Narrated by: Angela Lin

From the bestselling author of Girl in Translation, a novel about a young woman torn between her family duties in Chinatown and her escape into the world of ballroom dancing.

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Wong grew up in New York’s Chinatown, the older daughter of a Beijing ballerina and a noodle maker. Though an ABC (America-born Chinese), Charlie’s entire world has been limited to this small area. Now grown, she lives in the same tiny apartment with her widower father and her eleven-year-old sister, and works—miserably—as a dishwasher.

But when she lands a job as a receptionist at a ballroom dance studio, Charlie gains access to a world she hardly knew existed, and everything she once took to be certain turns upside down. Gradually, at the dance studio, awkward Charlie’s natural talents begin to emerge. With them, her perspective, expectations, and sense of self are transformed—something she must take great pains to hide from her father and his suspicion of all things Western. As Charlie blossoms, though, her sister becomes chronically ill. As Pa insists on treating his ailing child exclusively with Eastern practices to no avail, Charlie is forced to try to reconcile her two selves and her two worlds—Eastern and Western, old world and new—to rescue her little sister without sacrificing her newfound confidence and identity.

Great Read!

I really enjoy Jean Kwok, especially loved her first book, Girl in Translation. This second book was equally good but I preferred the narrator from the first book. The story at time got a little slow, but overall I enjoyed it

Good points and bad

I found this book to be something of a mixed bag. There were some sweet moments, and the cultural backdrop was interesting, but overall lacks the element of surprise. An average read.

Not Amy Tan

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. I am not a dancer and not interested in how to be one.

Would you ever listen to anything by Jean Kwok again?

Too shallow.

What three words best describe Angela Lin’s performance?

Well presented. soft.

Do you think Mambo in Chinatown needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Gosh no.

Any additional comments?

I even became disinterested in what happens to little sister and the weird doctor.

Another standout

Great story. Personable characters and great narration. Looking for more by this author. Highly recommend

Pleasant but clichéd

The story is nice but reads like a cable TV romance. The narrator's voice is beautiful, but her accents are off; for example, her Hispanic accent sounds Russian, so it's distracting.