The Fortunes of Jaded Women

It was common knowledge in Little Saigon, Orange County, that the Duong sisters were cursed.

A formidable Vietnamese witch cursed Oanh and her descendants, preventing them from ever finding love or happiness and ensuring that the Duong women would only ever give birth to daughters rather than males. It all began with their ancestor Oanh, who had the audacity to abandon her husband in favor of real love.‏

Mai Nguyen, an ancestor of Oanh, is aware of this curse. She is separated from her younger sisters, Minh Pham, who is the middle sister and the mediator, and Khuyen Lam, who claims to just own modest nail salons and coffee shops and not Little Saigon's underground, due to an intense argument that occurred ten years ago. She is also divorced. Priscilla, Thuy, and Thao, Mai's three adult children, have good careers—one of them works as a dermatologist for John Cho—but their romantic lives aren't as fulfilling. Mai fears that they would put her in an early grave.

In need of direction, she turns to her reliable psychic in Hawaii, Auntie Hua, who makes an unexpected prophecy: her family will see a marriage, a burial, and the birth of a boy this year. For better or worse, this prophesy will bring moms, daughters, aunts, and cousins back together who have been alienated.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women is a multi-narrative book full of humor and honesty about a family grieving, interfering, celebrating, and getting well together. It demonstrates how Vietnamese women succeed in spite of opposition from all sides.