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Meet Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For years, Stanley has claimed that he’s worth a small fortune. But the time is now coming when the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and Stanley’s family is nervous.
For his son Fred, the inheritance Stanley has long alluded to would soothe the pain caused by years of professional disappointment. By now, the Harvard Business School graduate had expected to be a financial tech god – not a minor investor at a middling corporate firm, where he isn’t even allowed to fly business class.
Stanley’s daughter, Kate, is a middle manager with one of Silicon Valley’s most prestigious tech companies. She manages the capricious demands of her world-famous boss and the needs of her two young children all while supporting her would-be entrepreneur husband (just until his startup gets off the ground, which will surely be soon). But lately, Kate has been sensing something amiss; just because you say you have it all, it doesn’t mean that you actually do.
Stanley’s second wife, Mary Zhu, twenty-eight years his junior, has devoted herself to making her husband comfortable in every way—rubbing his feet, cooking his favorite dishes, massaging his ego. But lately, her commitment has waned; caring for a dying old man is far more difficult than she expected.
Linda Liang, Stanley’s first wife, knows her ex better than anyone. She worked hard for decades to ensure their financial security, and is determined to see her children get their due. Single for nearly a decade, she might finally be ready for some romantic companionship. But where does a seventy-two year old Chinese woman in California go to find an appropriate boyfriend?
As Stanley’s death approaches, the Huangs are faced with unexpected challenges that upend them and eventually lead them to discover what they most value. A compelling tale of cultural expectations, career ambitions and our relationships with the people who know us best, Family Trust skewers the ambition and desires that drive Silicon Valley and draws a sharply loving portrait of modern American family life.
Review:
Set in Silicon Valley, Family Trust, by Kathy Wang, is reminiscent of Crazy Rich Asians in its portrayal of the ultra-wealthy. But it is also a family drama about the complications of second marriages, and the generational differences between parents and their adult children. This was a highly entertaining book.
What I Liked:
Setting:The novel is set in Silicon Valley. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I could recognize many of the places in this book. The mix of various immigrant cultures, luxury shops that cater to new money, and people working themselves to death launching the latest tech start-up, are all part of the culture of the Bay Area. This book gets all the details right.
Narration:
Joy Osmanski does a wonderful job of voicing all the characters. From self-important Stanley to overworked Kate, Ms. Osmanski seamlessly juggled it all in this dialogue-heavy novel.
Characters:
The book focuses on two generations of the Huang family. Stanley has a younger second wife, and is coming to terms with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. When everyone starts asking about who he will leave his money to, Stanley is vague but reassuring that everyone will be "taken care of". But what does that mean? Will he leave everything to Mary, his second wife? What about his children? How much money does Stanley actually have?
Linda (the first wife) is chiefly concerned with making sure Stanley doesn't shut out their children in favor of Mary. But she is also considering dating again. I found it so realistic that Linda is ambivalent about Stanley's requests for her to attend "family" dinners. Why should she be forced to cater to any of his whims again? That's why they're divorced!
I really like their daughter, Kate. She is every super stressed working woman in the Bay Area. She works full time, but is still expected to manage the children, and a home by herself. Is it any wonder her marriage is in distress?
Story:
Each Huang family member has their own story-line, with alternating viewpoints for each chapter. This allows for events to be seen from multiple angles and adds layers of meaning that we couldn't receive in single voice narrative.
I really like how each story is told in a way that makes me empathize with each character. I came to care about the characters, even the ones I thought I despised. It came as a shock to me that I actually cried when Stanley died! This is a testament to the ability of the author to show me how complicated each person is.
This story shows how delicate and complex trusts, wills, and end of life decisions are in to a family. What do you do when you know someone has a terminal disease? Do you push for clarification of a will or trust? Will that help, or make you look greedy? Should people be forced to apologize for past wrongs, or should those issues be swept under the rug in order to make it easier on the dying? So many difficult issues are brought up.
But, lest you think this book is super serious, I would be remiss in not pointing out how funny this story is. The ridiculous spending, swagger, and name dropping of the characters was fun. And there were some truly funny situations, such as when one character is hiding in the bushes, spying on their spouse.
What I Was Mixed About:
Male Characters:
While I understand that the author wants to show the misogynistic culture of Silicon Valley, does every man in this book have to be a jerk? These guys are sexist, and appraise women based solely on how they can help them elevate their social status. Yes, many successful men want beautiful eye candy. But I think it would have been good to have at least one decent man to show that guys do have a choice of how to behave.
Fred, Stanley's son, is particularly awful. He sees his girlfriend, Erica, as a pushy social climber, out to ensnare Fred into marriage. But is he any better? He is more than happy to have her on his arm during a business trip because she is beautiful, and he feels this will elevate his status. But the moment she steps out of line, he sends her packing. He was the one character I couldn't sympathize with.
Rating:
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Author: Kathy Wang
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: General Fiction
Page Length: 400 Pages
Audio Publisher: Harper Audio
Audio Length: 13 Hours, 43 Minutes
Narrator: Joy Osmanski
Source: Public Library
Format: Audio Book
Recommendation: An entertaining choice for a book club.
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