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Love and Other Moods

Crystal Z. Lee

Summary

Love and Other Moods is a coming-of-age story set in contemporary China, about falling in love, learning to adult, discovering strength and finding one's place in the world. 
 
Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé's company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country. 
 
Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai. 
 
This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships --- familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships --- in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century. 
 
Review Quotes: 
 
"This heartfelt, transporting story sparkles with a constellation of characters who call this city home while pursuing their China dream. As multifaceted as Shanghai itself, this novel follows overlapping narratives about the complexities of adulting, of parenting, of the urban quest for love and finding one's place in the world."  
-- EMILY TING, film director of Go Back to China and Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong 
 
"Awash with cosmopolitan expats and jet-setting locals, Love and Other Moods shimmers like the diamonds adorning China's glitterati, while exposing haunting personal histories and intergenerational strife. With dazzling twirls around Shanghai's World Expo, glitzy fashion shows, art deco architecture, jazz clubs, gourmet restaurants, and disappearing food stalls, this novel compellingly pulls the reader into the pleasures and pains of becoming an adult in a city soaring to global status." 
-- JENNY LIN, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Critical Studies at the University of Southern California and author of Above sea: Contemporary art, urban culture, and the fashioning of global Shanghai  
 
"A spirited, resonant love story about new loves and new beginnings." 
-- Kirkus Reviews

Available since: 12/10/2020.

2 Comments

24symbols EN

A novel that takes us to the exotic buzz of Shanghai, the city where nights are not meant for sleeping. Please do read the prologue, despite the slightly annoying enumeration of just about everything that could be put in a list, it perfectly captures the vibe of this thrilling city. Shanghai is home to more than 200.000 expats, the ideal setting for Lee to delve into the problems of cultural differences, relationships, identity crises and the feeling of having no place to call home.

Naomi has just broken up with her fiancée and finds herself without a partner, job or apartment in Shanghai. Instead of going back to the States she stays and makes the city her own. Along with Naomi we get to know a handful of other interesting characters who are all trying to find their place in the never-resting megacity. But above all this novel is a declaration of love for Shanghai and a homage to those who have grown up in different cultures.

Those who have been to Shanghai will rejoice in memories and those who have not will long to go. As for most traveling is out of the question these times, this is as good as it can get… Discover more book recommendations on https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-best-books-of-the-moment/
24symbols EN

This book was featured as one of the best books of the moment. Have a look at our Magazine to discover our best books of the moment, a handpicked and periodically updated selection of the books you simply cannot miss: https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-best-books-of-the-moment/

About the author

Crystal Z. Lee

Crystal Z. Lee is a Taiwanese American bilingual writer. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She was formerly a public relations...

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