Counterfeit

QUICK NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SELECTED BY REESE'S BOOK CLUB "Counterfeit is an opulent and captivating read, but beneath its glitz and flash, it is also a shrewd deconstruction of the American dream and the myth of the model minority. Chen is up to something innovative and subversive here." "A con artist story, a pop-feminist caper, a fashionable romp." — Camille Perri, book reviewer for the New York Times The New York Times Book Review suggests The following publications and television shows have been mentioned: Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Parade, New York Post, Town & Country, Buzzfeed, Goodreads, Oprah Daily, Popsugar, Bustle, theSkimm, The Millions, and more! For fans of  Hustlers  and  How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia , the story of two Asian American women who band together to grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a global enterprise—an incisive and glittering blend of fashion, crime, and friendship from the author of  Bury What We Cannot Take  and  Soy Sauce for Beginners. Although money can't buy happiness, it may purchase a respectable imitation. Ava Wong has never ventured too far.She's a disciplined, law-abiding Chinese American lawyer who's made the ideal life for herself and her small boy, a successful surgeon for a husband, and a lovely house. Beneath this exterior, however, is a world in which Ava's marriage is collapsing, her costly legal degree has lain unused for years, and her toddler's outbursts are driving her insane. Let's meet Winnie Fang, Ava's mystery Chinese roommate from Mainland college who unexpectedly left under strange circumstances.Twenty years later, Winnie is trying to get back in touch with her former buddy. However, the timid, uncomfortable girl Ava used to know has been replaced by a self-assured global woman who is opulent, sporting a sought-after Birkin in the timeless orange color.The key to her accomplishments?Winnie has devised a clever counterfeit plan that entails importing almost perfect copies of high-end handbags. Now, she needs assistance managing her company from someone holding a U.S. passport—someone like Ava, who would never be accused of crime.But when Winnie disappears once again and their incredible success is in jeopardy, Ava is forced to bear the repercussions. Swift, surprising, and sharply comic,   Counterfeit  is a stylish and feminist caper with a strong point of view and an axe to grind. Peering behind the curtain of the upscale designer storefronts and the Chinese factories where luxury goods are produced, Kirstin Chen interrogates the myth of the model minority through two unforgettable women determined to demand more from life. "If you appreciate a good caper, you’ll want to pick up Kirstin Chen’s novel . . . Fast-paced and fun, with smart commentary on the cultural differences between Asia and America." — TIME “Propulsive and captivating . . . A provocative story of fashion, friendship, and fakes (in more ways than one).” — BOOGIE