'Vivid and precise, deliciously cool-eyed, immensely readable' Jonathan Franzen

'Evokes the narrative power of classic Anne Tyler' Janice Y.K. Lee, author of The Piano Teacher

Joan Liang's life is a series of surprising developments: she never thought she would leave Taiwan (and for all places, California), nor did she expect her first marriage to implode - especially as quickly and spectacularly as it did. She definitely did not expect to fall in love with an older, wealthy American and become his fourth wife and mother to his youngest children. Through all this she asks herself the question familiar to so many of us: what are we living for? And are we ever truly satisfied?

Vivid, comic and intensely moving, The Satisfaction Cafe is a novel about all of the joy, sorrow, betrayal and beauty that come with marriage and family - and above all, about life's endless capacity to surprise us.

About the Author
Kathy Wang is the author of Family Trust and Impostor Syndrome. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School, and lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two children.

Reviews
Kathy Wang is a born storyteller, vivid and precise, deliciously cool-eyed, immensely readable -- Jonathan Franzen
Reading Kathy Wang is like talking to your best friend. The Satisfaction Cafe evokes the narrative power of classic Anne Tyler, infused with Wang's signature humor, warmth and wisdom. I want to share this novel with everyone -- Janice Y. K. Lee, author of The Piano Teacher
Subtle, surprising, and elegantly constructed, The Satisfaction Cafe is an insightful and funny exploration of how seldom our choices feel like choices; how rare and elusive the idea of home can feel * Lynn Steger Strong, author of Flight *
A beautiful, intimate novel that takes the reader, again and again, to unexpected places. Wang's characters are so real and flawed and human you expect them to spring from the page. What a breath of fresh air - a novel with nothing to prove and so much to give. I didn't want it to end -- Lydia Kiesling, author of Mobility
The Satisfaction Cafe is big-hearted without being sentimental, profound without pretence, and witty without sacrificing sincerity - qualities that reflect its unforgettable protagonist, Joan. This is the kind of story that makes you want to write a thank you note to the author, call up an old friend, and gaze at strangers with greater compassion and curiosity. Kathy Wang bestows us with virtuoso prose, gentle wisdom, and a main character who stands among the best I've ever read. I fell in love with and savoured this beautiful novel -- Emily Habeck, author of Shark Heart



Book Information
ISBN 9780349147260
Author Kathy Wang
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Abacus
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 153mm * 22mm