Searching for Sylvie Lee

A Novel

By: Jean Kwok

Narrated by: Angela Lin, Samantha Quan, Caroline McLaughlin

An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick & Emma Roberts Belletrist Book Club Pick!

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK BY New York Times • Time • Marie Claire • Elle • Buzzfeed • Huffington Post • Good Housekeeping • The Week • Goodreads • New York Post • and many more!

“Powerful . . . A twisting tale of love, loss, and dark family secrets.” — Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the Water

A poignant and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties binding three women—two sisters and their mother—in one Chinese immigrant family and explores what happens when the eldest daughter disappears, and a series of family secrets emerge, from the New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation

It begins with a mystery. Sylvie, the beautiful, brilliant, successful older daughter of the Lee family, flies to the Netherlands for one final visit with her dying grandmother—and then vanishes.

Amy, the sheltered baby of the Lee family, is too young to remember a time when her parents were newly immigrated and too poor to keep Sylvie. Seven years older, Sylvie was raised by a distant relative in a faraway, foreign place, and didn’t rejoin her family in America until age nine. Timid and shy, Amy has always looked up to her sister, the fierce and fearless protector who showered her with unconditional love.

But what happened to Sylvie? Amy and her parents are distraught and desperate for answers. Sylvie has always looked out for them. Now, it’s Amy’s turn to help. Terrified yet determined, Amy retraces her sister’s movements, flying to the last place Sylvie was seen. But instead of simple answers, she discovers something much more valuable: the truth. Sylvie, the golden girl, kept painful secrets . . . secrets that will reveal more about Amy’s complicated family—and herself—than she ever could have imagined.

A deeply moving story of family, secrets, identity, and longing, Searching for Sylvie Lee is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive portrait of an immigrant family. It is a profound exploration of the many ways culture and language can divide us and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone—especially those we love.

“This is a true beach read! You can’t put it down!” – Jenna Bush Hager, Today Show Book Club Pick

This audiobook includes an episode of the Book Club Girl Podcast, featuring an interview with Jean Kwok about Searching for Sylvie Lee.

A must read

One of these books you hate to finish!
Excellent narration , a lot is twist and turns

Great Listen

This book is so good! I’ve read other reviews about the ending. But I think it is perfect.

I also think it is a good reminder of mental health and how everyone perceives another’s life isn’t always the truth.

Great story

Wow! Just wow! So well written and such convincing performances on audible. The story is captivating to the point that I had a hard time getting out of my car because I wanted to keep listening. Just so good.

Tragic, but powerful story

The story takes many twists and turns. In the end, it is tragic, but a powerful story.

Needs more to reach conclusion

I guess this is why this choice is great for book clubs because there are so many loose ends, and perhaps disappointing emotional yanks. The narration was good, and the story worth hearing, but I’d like to see if fleshed out. I think more of the grandmothers and mothers backstory would be helpful; I can’t help but wonder if an editor chopped it out somewhere along the way. I’d recommend this book to a friend if only to have someone to grouse with!