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There are currently 20 member reviews
for Paper Names
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Amy W. (Annapolis, MD)
Great Story
I really really enjoyed this book. Typically, I don't enjoy multiple narrators but the author skillfully wove the narrations together to truly develop each character. This book would make a great book club book because it touches on so many different themes- immigration, family, what makes a "good person", relationships, work, cultural differences... etc. This book will stay with me a while.
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Helen P. (Lynn, MA)
Sacrifice for Opportunity?
This is a pleasant book about immigrants seeking opportunity for their child by coming to America. Tony, Kim, and Tammy struggle economically and culturally. Tony is a doorman for The Rosewood where we meet Oliver. This neighbor generously offers to teach Tammy piano, and a friendship develops. We learn about the parents' engineering and physician jobs in China but now they have low-paying jobs. We are given a peek at Tony's temper but we don't SEE it again until much later. Characters are written in a way that mirror perceived stereotypes; persuading readers to the morally correct way. There is a surprising incident at the end that still leaves me wondering about Oliver and Tammy. Interesting read that would be great to discuss.
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Lucy S. (Ann Arbor, MI)
Strong start
I liked this book at the beginning, but as the story progressed, I became less sure. There were some plot points I struggled with, such as a 30 year old man wondering how he feels about a young girl. I 'm giving it 3 stars because I enjoyed getting multiple POVs, and the non-linear structure of the story. Some parts were better than others. I don't want to spoil anything, but I felt like the author lost control of the plot and of her writing by the end.
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Kate G. (Bronx, NY)
Different Views of the American Dream
This coming of age debut is the story of Chinese immigrant Tammy who at 9 is living with her parents in a basement apartment in Flushing. As she grows up, her father moves from being a doorman in Manhattan to a senior engineer for a private firm. This enables them to move into their own home in Scarsdale, New York and Tammy lands Harvard times two: undergrad and law) leading her to a white shoe law firm. However, neither Tammy nor her parents seem happy or satisfied and while they may not have been happy had they stayed in China, I ultimately was frustrated. It was not nearly as light as the colorful cover would have led you to believe. Most of the other characters in their lives were mostly cynical, rich and unaware of their privilege which probably reflects reality as seen by the author.
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Lani S. (Narberth, PA)
Rising to the American dream
Paper names..paper names…paper names…Are they titles people accrue flimsy like paper? Does being the doorman's hero daughter, Harvard graduate, Chinese immigrant lawyer, fiancé mean anything in the end? How do we form our true identity?
Painting in self-assured strokes, the author examines the lives of two families and three individuals. Tony was an effective and accomplished engineer in China who left for the American dream for a life that would prove he had made it in the world for himself and his family, including his young daughter Tammy. Tammy is introduced as a 9 year old and we watch as she explores her world and defines herself by pushing up the ladder to achieve her father's expectations. Oliver is a wealthy white lawyer with a circumspect past who rides the coattails of his family's wealth and entitlements. Both families' lives are embedded with secrets and legacies that serve to shape the next generation.
Tony works as a doorman at an exclusive hotel when a robber tries to steal a famous tenant's purse. He attacks the man and becomes a hero while Oliver watches behind the plated glass. Thus, begins the core of the current day story. The development of the characters is aptly described in chapters with shifting timelines that gives one an Eagles eye view of their evolving characters. What costs accrue as they ascend the ladder of their dreams? In the plot the author brilliantly captures the love of family and how it shapes the family systems' dynamics while also exploring a tale of corruption of affluence and opportunity.
A quick read of an enjoyable story but I didn't find myself rooting for the characters or becoming engrossed in the plot.
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Deborah C. (Rochester Hills, MI)
Disappointing Read
It's always so much harder to write an unfavorable review about a book than it is to write a good one. I had a lot of trouble getting through this book. I was ready to quit after 50 pages, but to be fair, and to give an honest review, I knew that I needed to finish it. The bigger problem was that I also wanted to give up on it at 100 pages and many pages thereafter.
In my honest opinion, this literary fiction debut novel had many shortcomings in the delivery of its message. To begin with, there was not a good introduction to the characters, and I was lost as soon as I started. Then, the dating of the chapters jumped around and the story didn't flow easily. I found the narrative to be boring, unstructured, convoluted, and confusing at times. I eventually came to appreciate the theme of the novel, the importance of family, but feel that the execution failed. Overall, this book just didn't resonate with me.
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