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Table of Contents
About The Book
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL-GOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR
For fans of Amy Tan, KJ Dell’Antonia, and Kevin Kwan, this “sharp, smart, and gloriously extra” (Nancy Jooyoun Kim, author of The Last Story of Mina Lee) debut celebrates a family of estranged Vietnamese women who experiences mishaps and unexpected joy after a psychic makes a startling prediction about their lives.
Everyone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knew that the Duong sisters were cursed.
It started with their ancestor, Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love—so a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Duong women would give birth to daughters, never sons.
Oanh’s current descendant Mai Nguyen knows this curse well. She’s divorced, and after an explosive disagreement a decade ago, she’s estranged from her younger sisters, Minh Pham (the middle and the mediator) and Khuyen Lam (the youngest who swears she just runs humble coffee shops and nail salons, not Little Saigon’s underground). Though Mai’s three adult daughters, Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao, are successful in their careers (one of them is John Cho’s dermatologist!), the same can’t be said for their love lives. Mai is convinced they might drive her to an early grave.
Desperate for guidance, she consults Auntie Hua, her trusted psychic in Hawaii, who delivers an unexpected prediction: this year, her family will witness a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son. This prophecy will reunite estranged mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins—for better or for worse.
A multi-narrative novel brimming with levity and candor, The Fortunes of Jaded Women is about mourning, meddling, celebrating, and healing together as a family. It shows how Vietnamese women emerge victorious, even if the world is against them.
A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL-GOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR
For fans of Amy Tan, KJ Dell’Antonia, and Kevin Kwan, this “sharp, smart, and gloriously extra” (Nancy Jooyoun Kim, author of The Last Story of Mina Lee) debut celebrates a family of estranged Vietnamese women who experiences mishaps and unexpected joy after a psychic makes a startling prediction about their lives.
Everyone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knew that the Duong sisters were cursed.
It started with their ancestor, Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love—so a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Duong women would give birth to daughters, never sons.
Oanh’s current descendant Mai Nguyen knows this curse well. She’s divorced, and after an explosive disagreement a decade ago, she’s estranged from her younger sisters, Minh Pham (the middle and the mediator) and Khuyen Lam (the youngest who swears she just runs humble coffee shops and nail salons, not Little Saigon’s underground). Though Mai’s three adult daughters, Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao, are successful in their careers (one of them is John Cho’s dermatologist!), the same can’t be said for their love lives. Mai is convinced they might drive her to an early grave.
Desperate for guidance, she consults Auntie Hua, her trusted psychic in Hawaii, who delivers an unexpected prediction: this year, her family will witness a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son. This prophecy will reunite estranged mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins—for better or for worse.
A multi-narrative novel brimming with levity and candor, The Fortunes of Jaded Women is about mourning, meddling, celebrating, and healing together as a family. It shows how Vietnamese women emerge victorious, even if the world is against them.
Reading Group Guide
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This reading group guide for The Fortunes of Jaded Women includes an introduction, discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author Carolyn Huynh. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
Everyone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knew that the Dương sisters were cursed.
It started with their ancestor Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love. So a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Dương women would give birth to daughters, never sons.
Oanh’s current descendant Mai Nguyễn knows this curse well. She’s divorced, and after an explosive disagreement a decade ago, she’s estranged from her younger sisters, Minh Phạm (the middle and the mediator) and Khuyến Lâm (the youngest, who swears she just runs humble coffee shops and nail salons, not Little Saigon’s underground). Though Mai’s three adult daughters, Priscilla, Thủy, and Thảo, are successful in their careers—one of them is John Cho’s dermatologist!—the same can’t be said for their love lives. Mai is convinced they might drive her to an early grave.
Desperate for guidance, she consults Auntie Hứa, her trusted psychic in Hawaii, who delivers an unexpected prediction: this year, her family will witness a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son. This prophecy will reunite estranged mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins—for better or for worse.
A multinarrative novel brimming with levity and candor, The Fortunes of Jaded Women is about mourning, meddling, celebrating, and healing together as a family. It shows how Vietnamese women emerge victorious, even if the world is against them.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The story starts with the beginnings of a curse and predictions from a psychic—how do both the curse and psychic set up the rest of the story?
2. Discuss the similarities and differences between each generation of women. Are any of the daughters like their mothers?
3. Thảo references her “Asian-daughter guilt” (page 74), when talking about being away from home for as long as she has. Do you think the idea of mother/daughter guilt is a universal concept?
4. Why was jade such an important symbol to the family, specifically through jewelry?
5. Although they all have various frustrations with one another, the Dương sisters and their daughters clearly love each other. What are some ways they demonstrate their affection, albeit in perhaps untraditional manner?
6. Setting plays an important part in the novel. What feelings are invoked when in Seattle, Saigon, or Orange County? Discuss how the different neighborhoods and houses play a pivotal role in the characters’ lives.
7. There are many funny scenes in the novel, in addition to its humorous tone. Which moments made you laugh, and how did they make you feel about the characters?
8. Mark, Andy, Daniel, Anh and even Dr. Hak all have their roles to play as the men in the lives of the Dương sisters. Discuss how these relationships are all woven together and the significance of each of these characters.
9. “Pass this necklace on to your oldest daughter, and when your oldest daughter is of age, the necklace will help her bear the children she wants. She will continue passing down the necklace, throughout the generations, and the necklace will always reveal their real desires in their children” (page 240). Why was this revelation important? How does it change everything the sisters have ever believed about their family?
10. Discuss how the novel is organized and broken into five parts—"The Predictions,” “The Funeral,” “The Pregnancy,” “The Wedding,” and “The Grandson.”
11. Each character brings something different to the story—did you relate to any of them? If so, please explain who and why.
12. When the novel ends, we see Priscilla go see the psychic to learn about her daughter. Given that she is someone who “always relied on numbers as the source of truth in the universe” (page 19), why do you think she continues this tradition?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. So much of the story of the Dương sisters centers around the family curse that has been passed down from generation to generation. Are there any curses or folklore tales in your family (that you know of)? If you feel comfortable, consider asking the source of the story to tell it to you again. Perhaps you will find new details emerge that you couldn’t have known as a child.
2. Little Saigon neighborhoods are all across the United States. See if there is one in your area to explore, or find a Vietnamese restaurant in your area and try the cuisine!
3. To learn more about Carolyn Huynh, read reviews of The Fortunes of Jaded Women, and learn about her events, visit Carolyn’s official site at www.carolynkhuynh.com.
A Conversation with Carolyn Huynh
Q: The Fortunes of Jaded Women is both heartfelt and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Did you set out to write a funny novel, or did the characters you created inform its tone?
A: I’ve always thought Vietnamese people—especially Vietnamese mothers—are unintentionally funny. Most of the lines that came from the three mothers in the book are real lines my mother has said in real life. My mother believes in cash, is deathly afraid of taxes, and often told me growing up that flip-flops cause cancer. (Don’t ask me to explain anything.) I created my characters to be unintentionally funny, because I knew they were being serious (which only makes it funnier!).
Q: Mother-daughter relationships and those between sisters are evergreen topics in literature. What dynamics in this relationship were you interested in exploring?
A: I’m fascinated with misunderstandings, miscommunications, and misbehaving women—and mother-daughter relationships are ripe with those. Especially when it comes to saying “I’m sorry” and “I love you” between a mother and daughter. The lengths we go to to avoid those two little phrases when all we want to do is shout them from a mountain is something so universal, it will never stop being written about.
Q: You’ve spoken about how the psychic, Auntie Hứa, is based on a real person. Tell us about your inspiration for the novel and how this person played a part in that.
A: The psychic is definitely a tall tale within the Vietnamese community—everyone knows who she is! I saw this woman myself five years ago, and it has haunted me ever since. I grew up with my mother going to our family fortune-teller for everything and I used to resent her for doing it, but when I grew up, I understood the intention behind why she did it. Having this psychic as the opening was so integral to the story because I wanted to highlight the lengths a mother would go to to try to protect their children from the unknowns—even if the psychic is probably wrong.
Q: Was there a character that was your favorite to write about? If so, why?
A: Rosie and Christine! They are my Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I’m obsessed with the Gen Z ABG (Asian Baby Girl) generation, and I wanted to write about two characters who stood the most chance of being able to heal from generational trauma. Because if they choose to have children of their own one day, the probability that those children will be able to end the cycle is high.
Q: What novels were you drawn to growing up?
A: I’m proud to say I consumed a lot of comic books, manga, and fanfiction as a child, and as a result addiction for commercial fiction and Korean dramas has manifested as an adult.
Q: Why was it important to you to set the novel primarily in Orange County, CA?
A: Aside from Orange County being where I was born and raised, I wanted to write about it in a way that actually reflects the diverse population. It always surprised me how one-note its depiction in the media is. The Little Saigon area is a reflection of the resiliency of Vietnamese people. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Little Saigon. The Vietnamese survived twice: once from the war, and again resettling in a new country. What better way to honor that resiliency than by setting the book in the biggest Vietnamese enclave outside of Vietnam itself?
Q: As a writer, what do you hope readers take away from your novel?
A: I’m the least positive person alive, so even I’m surprised I wrote a novel that has so much levity and healing. Even though this is a very Vietnamese American story, I wanted readers to be swept away with that warm, fuzzy feeling of hopefulness. In order to love, you have to have hope. Hope that things will get better (which they will). This is now your reminder to call the mother-figure in your life and tell them you’re sorry and that you love them.
Q: Do you have a next project in mind? And, if so, what is it?
A: My heart refuses to stop writing about unhinged family dynamics, the Vietnamese diaspora, and messy women who never learn from their mistakes. My next project centers around Houston’s Little Saigon and the Trần family. It’s about four sisters who have been pitted against each other by their eccentric, self-made father to win back their inheritance. They just have to get through the first-born son, the second wife and her team of shark lawyers, oh, and do it all before their father passes. Think of it as House of Ho meets Succession. It’s another bighearted story about rediscovering one’s roots, familial legacy, and finding one’s place in a divided country.
Introduction
Everyone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knew that the Dương sisters were cursed.
It started with their ancestor Oanh, who dared to leave her marriage for true love. So a fearsome Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants so that they would never find love or happiness, and the Dương women would give birth to daughters, never sons.
Oanh’s current descendant Mai Nguyễn knows this curse well. She’s divorced, and after an explosive disagreement a decade ago, she’s estranged from her younger sisters, Minh Phạm (the middle and the mediator) and Khuyến Lâm (the youngest, who swears she just runs humble coffee shops and nail salons, not Little Saigon’s underground). Though Mai’s three adult daughters, Priscilla, Thủy, and Thảo, are successful in their careers—one of them is John Cho’s dermatologist!—the same can’t be said for their love lives. Mai is convinced they might drive her to an early grave.
Desperate for guidance, she consults Auntie Hứa, her trusted psychic in Hawaii, who delivers an unexpected prediction: this year, her family will witness a marriage, a funeral, and the birth of a son. This prophecy will reunite estranged mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins—for better or for worse.
A multinarrative novel brimming with levity and candor, The Fortunes of Jaded Women is about mourning, meddling, celebrating, and healing together as a family. It shows how Vietnamese women emerge victorious, even if the world is against them.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The story starts with the beginnings of a curse and predictions from a psychic—how do both the curse and psychic set up the rest of the story?
2. Discuss the similarities and differences between each generation of women. Are any of the daughters like their mothers?
3. Thảo references her “Asian-daughter guilt” (page 74), when talking about being away from home for as long as she has. Do you think the idea of mother/daughter guilt is a universal concept?
4. Why was jade such an important symbol to the family, specifically through jewelry?
5. Although they all have various frustrations with one another, the Dương sisters and their daughters clearly love each other. What are some ways they demonstrate their affection, albeit in perhaps untraditional manner?
6. Setting plays an important part in the novel. What feelings are invoked when in Seattle, Saigon, or Orange County? Discuss how the different neighborhoods and houses play a pivotal role in the characters’ lives.
7. There are many funny scenes in the novel, in addition to its humorous tone. Which moments made you laugh, and how did they make you feel about the characters?
8. Mark, Andy, Daniel, Anh and even Dr. Hak all have their roles to play as the men in the lives of the Dương sisters. Discuss how these relationships are all woven together and the significance of each of these characters.
9. “Pass this necklace on to your oldest daughter, and when your oldest daughter is of age, the necklace will help her bear the children she wants. She will continue passing down the necklace, throughout the generations, and the necklace will always reveal their real desires in their children” (page 240). Why was this revelation important? How does it change everything the sisters have ever believed about their family?
10. Discuss how the novel is organized and broken into five parts—"The Predictions,” “The Funeral,” “The Pregnancy,” “The Wedding,” and “The Grandson.”
11. Each character brings something different to the story—did you relate to any of them? If so, please explain who and why.
12. When the novel ends, we see Priscilla go see the psychic to learn about her daughter. Given that she is someone who “always relied on numbers as the source of truth in the universe” (page 19), why do you think she continues this tradition?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. So much of the story of the Dương sisters centers around the family curse that has been passed down from generation to generation. Are there any curses or folklore tales in your family (that you know of)? If you feel comfortable, consider asking the source of the story to tell it to you again. Perhaps you will find new details emerge that you couldn’t have known as a child.
2. Little Saigon neighborhoods are all across the United States. See if there is one in your area to explore, or find a Vietnamese restaurant in your area and try the cuisine!
3. To learn more about Carolyn Huynh, read reviews of The Fortunes of Jaded Women, and learn about her events, visit Carolyn’s official site at www.carolynkhuynh.com.
A Conversation with Carolyn Huynh
Q: The Fortunes of Jaded Women is both heartfelt and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Did you set out to write a funny novel, or did the characters you created inform its tone?
A: I’ve always thought Vietnamese people—especially Vietnamese mothers—are unintentionally funny. Most of the lines that came from the three mothers in the book are real lines my mother has said in real life. My mother believes in cash, is deathly afraid of taxes, and often told me growing up that flip-flops cause cancer. (Don’t ask me to explain anything.) I created my characters to be unintentionally funny, because I knew they were being serious (which only makes it funnier!).
Q: Mother-daughter relationships and those between sisters are evergreen topics in literature. What dynamics in this relationship were you interested in exploring?
A: I’m fascinated with misunderstandings, miscommunications, and misbehaving women—and mother-daughter relationships are ripe with those. Especially when it comes to saying “I’m sorry” and “I love you” between a mother and daughter. The lengths we go to to avoid those two little phrases when all we want to do is shout them from a mountain is something so universal, it will never stop being written about.
Q: You’ve spoken about how the psychic, Auntie Hứa, is based on a real person. Tell us about your inspiration for the novel and how this person played a part in that.
A: The psychic is definitely a tall tale within the Vietnamese community—everyone knows who she is! I saw this woman myself five years ago, and it has haunted me ever since. I grew up with my mother going to our family fortune-teller for everything and I used to resent her for doing it, but when I grew up, I understood the intention behind why she did it. Having this psychic as the opening was so integral to the story because I wanted to highlight the lengths a mother would go to to try to protect their children from the unknowns—even if the psychic is probably wrong.
Q: Was there a character that was your favorite to write about? If so, why?
A: Rosie and Christine! They are my Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I’m obsessed with the Gen Z ABG (Asian Baby Girl) generation, and I wanted to write about two characters who stood the most chance of being able to heal from generational trauma. Because if they choose to have children of their own one day, the probability that those children will be able to end the cycle is high.
Q: What novels were you drawn to growing up?
A: I’m proud to say I consumed a lot of comic books, manga, and fanfiction as a child, and as a result addiction for commercial fiction and Korean dramas has manifested as an adult.
Q: Why was it important to you to set the novel primarily in Orange County, CA?
A: Aside from Orange County being where I was born and raised, I wanted to write about it in a way that actually reflects the diverse population. It always surprised me how one-note its depiction in the media is. The Little Saigon area is a reflection of the resiliency of Vietnamese people. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Little Saigon. The Vietnamese survived twice: once from the war, and again resettling in a new country. What better way to honor that resiliency than by setting the book in the biggest Vietnamese enclave outside of Vietnam itself?
Q: As a writer, what do you hope readers take away from your novel?
A: I’m the least positive person alive, so even I’m surprised I wrote a novel that has so much levity and healing. Even though this is a very Vietnamese American story, I wanted readers to be swept away with that warm, fuzzy feeling of hopefulness. In order to love, you have to have hope. Hope that things will get better (which they will). This is now your reminder to call the mother-figure in your life and tell them you’re sorry and that you love them.
Q: Do you have a next project in mind? And, if so, what is it?
A: My heart refuses to stop writing about unhinged family dynamics, the Vietnamese diaspora, and messy women who never learn from their mistakes. My next project centers around Houston’s Little Saigon and the Trần family. It’s about four sisters who have been pitted against each other by their eccentric, self-made father to win back their inheritance. They just have to get through the first-born son, the second wife and her team of shark lawyers, oh, and do it all before their father passes. Think of it as House of Ho meets Succession. It’s another bighearted story about rediscovering one’s roots, familial legacy, and finding one’s place in a divided country.
About The Author
May Xiong
Carolyn Huynh loves writing about messy Asian women who never learn from their mistakes. Her debut book, The Fortunes of Jaded Women was a Good Morning America book club pick and is being adapted for television by Heyday Studios and Universal. Her sophomore book, The Family Recipe, comes out in 2025. When she’s not writing, Carolyn daydreams about having iced coffee on a rooftop in Ho Chi Minh City.
Why We Love It
“For the longest time, I didn’t see Vietnamese American women like me in fiction. We were background characters, dead bodies, docile servants, fetishized fantasies, or suffering individuals traumatized by constant war. I always thought, There’s so much more to our lives. There’s so much to celebrate. Vietnamese women are joyful, loud, stubborn, angry, funny, loving. We are everything. Carolyn Huynh’s big-hearted debut, The Fortunes of Jaded Women, is absolute proof. It follows various Vietnamese women’s disparate lives, which intersect after a powerful psychic makes a startling prediction about their family’s fate and happiness. Layered with laugh-out-loud humor, some heartbreak, and healing, this vibrant novel is a life-affirming love letter to women everywhere.”
—Loan L., Editor, on The Fortunes of Jaded Women
Product Details
- Publisher: Atria Books (September 6, 2022)
- Length: 272 pages
- ISBN13: 9781982188757
Raves and Reviews
"Written with crackling humor and a shrewd, intimate understanding of Vietnamese American family life, the book is full of tart, broad comedy and farcical setups. But first-time novelist Huynh also uses her gift for humor as a tool to tell a unique story about exile and assimilation, highlighting the perils of trying to bend newer generations to ancient traditions and the difficulty of reconciling culture with the messy truths of modern American life. You will laugh along with the Duongs, but you’ll also find yourself cheering for their reconciliation as they learn 'there was nothing wrong with having Vietnamese daughters. It was how the world treated them that turned it into a curse.' A funny, sharp, and insightful look at family bonds and the effects of tradition on modern life."
– Kirkus Reviews
“You can always count me in for a story about generations of cursed women, but I was surprised—and thoroughly delighted—to discover how much I would laugh out loud at the exploits of these mothers, daughters, and sisters. Carolyn Huynh’s The Fortunes of Jaded Women is a terrific debut. I’m eager to read more from her.”
– Lisa See
“Sharp, smart, and gloriously extra, The Fortunes of Jaded Women pays homage to the counterfeit-Louis-Vuitton queens of the Vietnamese diaspora and West Coast witches everywhere. I laughed out loud at the familiar stubbornness, the high- and low-stakes cutthroatedness of these complex and lovable mothers and daughters."
– Nancy Jooyoun Kim, the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Story of Mina Lee
"Clever, hilarious, and deliciously dramatic. In this knockout debut, Huynh weaves a tangled, multigenerational story between fierce, stubborn Vietnamese mothers and their estranged daughters that is equally wild and heartfelt. It beautifully captures how far mothers would go to create a better life for their daughters and reconnect with them when their efforts go awry. Unlike their fake designer purses, this book is the real deal."
– Julie Tieu, author of The Donut Trap
"Mixing superstition, family drama, and a cast of unforgettable characters, Carolyn Huynh works magic in her debut. The Fortunes of Jaded Women is nothing short of a modern Shakespearean comedy of errors that perfectly depicts the intricate relationship between parents and their children. I can't wait for the world to meet the Duong family!"
– Eric Nguyen, author of Things We Lost to the Water
"Superstition, sibling rivalry, well-meaning mothers who meddle in the lives of their daughters—who then grow up to be well-meaning mothers who meddle in the lives of their daughters. The Fortunes of Jaded Women pulls off the magic trick of being a heartfelt, multi-generational epic as well as a fast-paced, hilarious romp. It is your good fortune to have this novel in your hands."
– Camille Perri, acclaimed author of The Assistants and When Katie Met Cassidy
"A delightful, drama-filled page turner, The Fortunes of Jaded Women tosses readers into the deep end of stubborn, ambitious Vietnamese women and their desire to create a better life for their daughters. Start swimming readers because you're in for an unforgettable lap around the complex world of Vietnamese Americans."
– Thien-Kim Lam, author of Happy Endings
"A war bubbles at the core of The Fortunes of Jaded Women, but perhaps not the one you’d expect. Rather than retreading the conflict that has been the focus of most Vietnam-centric literature for the past 70 years, Vietnamese American author Carolyn Huynh offers up a refreshingly buoyant and irreverent debut novel about a fiery group of estranged mothers and daughters. . . . Fantastical elements and an abundance of sisterly squabbles and scandals keep things juicy and bring plenty of laughs, but the characters are the real stars of the show. Each woman is joyfully rendered and fully developed, offering a welcome contrast to cliched depictions of meek and docile Asian women, and a powerful subversion of monolithic depictions of a people who have for too long been solely defined by tragedy. The Duong women have fire in their bellies, desire in their hearts and the grit needed to overcome any obstacle. The Fortunes of Jaded Women will certainly appeal to fans of over-the-top excess à la Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians, but readers who love rich explorations of thorny mother-daughter relationships and the ways we weather."
– Stephenie Harrison, BookPage (starred review)
“An entertaining array of gossip, bickering, matchmaking, and all-around hilarity."
– Washington Post’s Best Feel-Good Books of 2022
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