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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsAmerican Womanby Susan Choi
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Susan Choi's first novel, The Foreign Student, was published to remarkable critical acclaim. The New Yorkercalled it "an auspicious debut," and the Los Angeles Timestouted it as "a novel of extraordinary sensibility and transforming strangeness," naming it one of the ten best books of the year. American Woman, this gifted writer's second book, is a novel of even greater scope and dramatic complexity, about a young Japanese-American radical caught in the militant underground of the mid-1970s. When 25-year-old Jenny Shimada steps out of the Rhinecliff train station in New York's Hudson Valley, the last person she expects to see is Rob Frazer, a shadowy figure from her previous life. On the lam for an act of violence against the American government, Jenny agrees to take on the job of caring for three younger fugitives whom Frazer has spirited out of California. One of them, the granddaughter of a wealthy newspaper magnate in San Francisco, has become a national celebrity. Kidnapped by a homegrown revolutionary group, Pauline shocked America when she embraced her captors' ideology, denouncing family and class to enlist in their radical cell. American Womanunfolds the story of Jenny and her charges — Pauline, Juan, and Yvonne, the remains of the busted revolutionary cadre — asthey pursue their destinies from an old farmhouse in upstate New York back to California. Provocative, suspenseful, and often wickedly comic, the novel explores the psychology of the young radicals — outsiders all — as isolation and paranoia inevitably undermine their ideals. American Womanis a tour de force with chilling resonance for readers today. Review:"[G]rainy psychological depth and texture....While the unfolding drama...is enthralling, it is Choi's skill at getting inside the heads of her protagonists that gives the novel its particular, unsettling appeal." Publishers Weekly Review:"[A]mbitious...intellectually provocative and vividly imagined but weighed down by its intentions. Despite some fine writing, [it] seems as much like a seminar...as it does a novel....Earnest but disappointing." Kirkus Reviews Review:"[M]esmerizing....[S]ustains its own unwavering, original voice....Choi crafts complex, believable characters....How it all comes together in an engrossing and emotive story is testament to Choi's deft narration. Highly recommended." Library Journal Review:"With uncompromising grace and mastery, Susan Choi renders the intimate moments which bring to life a tale of prodigious sweep." Jhumpa Lahiri Review:"Few writers since Graham Greene have brought such tender, insightful, poetic, intelligent, darkly comic writing to the political thriller." Francisco Goldman Review:"Enthralling, it is Choi's skill at getting inside the heads of her protagonists that gives the novel its particular, unsettling appeal [and]...grainy psychological depth and texture."
Publishers Weekly Review:"A hypnotic, winding route through the scorched emotional landscape of 1974."
Village Voice Review:"Enthralling." Publishers Weekly Review:"Brilliant...Choi's insightful understanding vivid description, lyrical use of language and deft dialogue make it an overall reading pleasure." Oregonian Review:"A brilliant read...astonishing in its honesty and confidence American Woman is a haunting book." Denver Post Review:"Riveting...Choi has the rare gift of bringing sycg notorious moments of history back to life and making them altogether new." Vogue Review:"Intellectually provocative and vividly imagined." Kirkus Reviews Review:"Prepare to be held hostage by Susan Choi's mesmerizing American Woman." Vanity Fair Review:"For most of the novel...Jenny has been an enigma....But as crisis and her growing involvement with Pauline push her farther into herself, the novel takes on psychological and thematic substance....Choi does not keep a moral scorecard--questions of right and wrong are, rightly, left to the reader." New York Times Book Review Synopsis:On the lam for an act of violence against the American government, 25-year-old Jenny Shimada agrees to care for three younger fugitives whom a shadowy figure from her former radical life has spirited out of California. One of them, the kidnapped granddaughter of a wealthy newspaper magnate in San Francisco, has become a national celebrity for embracing her captors' ideology and joining their revolutionary cell. A thought-provoking meditation on themes of race, identity, and class, American Woman explores the psychology of the young radicals, the intensity of their isolated existence, and the paranoia and fear that undermine their ideals. Synopsis:On the lam for an act of violence against the American government, 25-year-old Jenny Shimada agrees to care for three younger fugitives whom a shadowy figure from her former radical life has spirited out of California. One of them, the kidnapped granddaughter of a wealthy newspaper magnate in San Francisco, has become a national celebrity for embracing her captors' ideology and joining their revolutionary cell. A thought-provoking meditation on themes of race, identity, and class, American Woman explores the psychology of the young radicals, the intensity of their isolated existence, and the paranoia and fear that undermine their ideals. About the AuthorSusan Choi was born in Indiana and grew up in Texas. Her first novel, The Foreign Student, won the Asian-American Literary Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Discover Great New Writers Award at Barnes & Noble. With David Remnick, she edited an anthology of fiction entitled Wonderful Town: New York Stories from the New Yorker. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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