The Wangs vs. the World

By: Jade Chang

Narrated by: Nancy Wu

A hilarious debut novel about a wealthy but fractured Chinese immigrant family that had it all, only to lose every last cent - and about the road trip they take across America that binds them back together.

Charles Wang is mad at America. A brash, lovable immigrant businessman who built a cosmetics empire and made a fortune, he's just been ruined by the financial crisis. Now all Charles wants is to get his kids safely stowed away so that he can go to China and attempt to reclaim his family's ancestral lands - and his pride.

Charles pulls Andrew, his aspiring comedian son, and Grace, his style-obsessed daughter, out of schools he can no longer afford. Together with their stepmother, Barbra, they embark on a cross-country road trip from their foreclosed Bel-Air home to the upstate New York hideout of the eldest daughter, disgraced art world it-girl Saina. But with his son waylaid by a temptress in New Orleans, his wife ready to defect for a set of 1,000-thread-count sheets, and an epic smash-up in North Carolina, Charles may have to choose between the old world and the new, between keeping his family intact and finally fulfilling his dream of starting anew in China.

Outrageously funny and full of charm, The Wangs vs. the World is an entirely fresh look at what it means to belong in America - and how going from glorious riches to (still name-brand) rags brings one family together in a way money never could.

©2016 Jade Chang Inc. (P)2016 Recorded Books

Fantastic

Good storytelling and good flow. The characters had depth and humor. I really enjoyed the book.

A delightful read/listen!

Character development and conversations in this book made me feel like I knew the entire Wang family well. This is the best narration I have EVER listened to! Phenomenal!

Fascinating family journey.

Quite enjoyable. This was a fun, funny, touching read. The narration was really well done.

Enjoyable

I think the performance was excellent, but overall I think the book itself is good but not great. The characters have a tremendous amount of zest and life to them, but I was left hanging by a lot of the intentions and actions within the story. I don't feel fulfilled like I was expecting to.

I would recommend this book to everyone

Chang developed the characters so well that I felt like I’d known them for years. A family who started out as very unlikeable became endearing by then end of the book. A great story of family and expectations. Finding oneself after being lost.