Lexa Thomas has never quite fit in. Having grown up in a family of blondes while more closely resembling Constance Wu, she's neither white enough nor Asian enough. Visiting her father in Taiwan as a child, Lexa thought she'd finally found a place where she belonged. But that was years ago, and even there, some never truly considered her to be a part of the family.
When her estranged father dies unexpectedly, leaving the fate of his Taiwanese family in Lexa's hands, she is faced with the choice to return to Taiwan and claim her place in her heritage . . . or leave her Taiwanese family to lose their home for good. Armed with the advice of two half-sisters (one American and the other Taiwanese, who can't stand each other), a mother who has re-evaluated her sexuality, a man whose kisses make her walk into walls, and her self-deprecating humour, Lexa finds the courage to leave the comfort of New York City to finally confront the person who drove her away all those decades ago.
With fond memories of eating through food markets in Taiwan and forming a bond with a sister she never knew she had, Lexa unravels the truth of that last fateful summer and realizes she must stand up for herself and open her heart to forgiveness or allow the repercussions of her family's choices to forever dictate the path of her life.
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Alexa Thomas had just bitten into a sesame ball when her mother told her she was in love with a woman.- 1
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(Books on Tape, 6 July 2021, audiobook, 9 hrs, borrowed from Glasgow Libraries via BorrowBox)
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I really enjoyed The Tiger Mom's Tale. This is a powerful, well-written, engaging tale about family and the complex relationships between people. It's also a book about the enduring power of love and secrets. I found this an engrossing read. Lexa is a great character, and the author does a brilliant job of making me feel empathy for her. The relationships between the characters are complex which makes the book compelling. I thought it was great.
