Homeseeking - Karissa Chen - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Karissa Chen

GENRE: Historical Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: February 27, 2025

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A historical saga spanning six+ decades, focussing on two characters and their life through China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and USA. Excellent characters, research, historical atmosphere, and story development. The reverse flow of the two timelines is brilliant. A bit too lengthy and dragged at times, but overall, a worthwhile read.

Plot Preview:

Suchi was just seven when she first met Haiwen in Shanghai. Newly shifted to the neighbourhood, Haiwen is somewhat reserved, but Suchi falls in love with his violin, and her peppy behaviour soon ensures a strong friendship between them. But as the years go by and the situation in China changes under its foreign rulers, the pair is forced to take some tough decisions, which may not bode well for their future together.

The story is spread across six decades, and comes to us from the lead characters’ alternating perspectives. Suchi’s POV begins in 1938 and moves chronologically ahead, while Haiwen’s POV begins in 2008 and moves in reverse order.

Bookish Yays:

😍 The most impressive feature of this book is the seamless way in which the two timelines go in opposite directions. We know Haiwen in 2008 and Suchi in 1938. We also see glimpses of Haiwen in 1938 and Suchi in 2008. The reconciliation of how each went from pt. A to pt. B and vice versa is brilliant. All pieces fit in like a clever jigsaw.

😍 The introductory note, talking about how character name pronunciations in the book change depending on time and place. Helpful, especially for the audio version, and a clever way of showing the variances in dialects.

😍 The lead characters. Complex, flawed, realistic, worth rooting for. I liked both Suchi and Haiwen, and even more, I loved how the story demonstrated their personalities and their changing bond over the years.

😍 The secondary characters. Though most of them play only second fiddle to the main duo, many of them leave a mark with their strong personality and courage even in times of trouble.

😍 The story does a remarkable job showing how external circumstances change our personality. We have all heard of nature vs. nurture, but outside influences can also shape our instinct and responses, which is cleverly depicted in this novel.

😍 A single story covering three ‘components’ of China: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China itself, and presenting the truths about each with minimal bias. Impressive.

😍 Covering the tumultuous Chinese history across six decades without making the book seem like a history textbook? Also impressive.

😍 The historical content, spanning four countries and portraying a mostly realistic picture of the situation in most of those countries. The US segment is more ordinary compared to the rest, but this isn't a story about the USA anyway.

😍 The writing, which takes care to present not just the atmosphere and character development but also the dialectic variations accurately. There are several Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Shanghainese) words included, which adds to the right feel.

😍 The significance of the title. It fits the book in so many ways. What is home? The home you were born in? The home you spent most of your life in? The country of your origin? The country that offered you a temporary or permanent shelter? Wherever your family is? Wherever your future is? All of these are explored through the story in some way or another.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

🤔 The contemporary USA storyline, especially at the start. The Chinese friends group seems a little stereotypical and some are annoying, especially as all their thoughts seem to revolve around dating and partnerships. I found this aspect tough to believe as originating from senior Asian characters, though it might very well be the case for present-day Asian-Americans.

🤔 The introductory overture has way too many characters, and I simply wasted my time listening to that chapter again and again to remember all of them. Didn’t need to do this at all as they are introduced gradually in the main plot. It is still a well-written start, just a bit too overloaded with names.

🤔 The ending. Good to some extent, but after that long investment in the characters, we deserved one more scene for perfect closure. If you read the book, you’ll know what I mean.

Bookish Nays:

🙄 The extended steamy scene. Way too detailed for a historical saga. We could have had the same scene without going into the telling of every step of the process.

🙄 Certain things get missed out because of the alternating timeline. I didn’t want every single detail, but I’d have liked to get a better idea of the fate of some key secondary characters.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 17 hrs 13 min, is narrated by Katharine Chin and Kenneth Lee. Both of them do a commendable job, expressing all emotions at just the right level for Suchi and Haiwen respectively. Their pronunciation of the Chinese words sounded good enough to me. (A native speaker might be able to judge the accuracy better. I am only going by the accent and feel.)

While the production and narration quality of the audio version are impeccable, the timelines going in opposite directions might be a dealbreaker to a few listeners, especially those who aren’t attuned to audiobooks yet. The book is worth a read, so if you think you won’t be able to handle the complex storytelling on audio, stick to actual reading, or try immersive reading (audio in your ears and the physical/digital copy before your eyes.)

Overall, I mostly relished this reading experience. The story, the characters, and the historical elements all work in unison to create a memorable saga. The initial US chapters weren’t my favourite and the timeline jumps and unsaid portions did test my patience at times, but the rest makes up for this.

Definitely recommended to fans of historical fiction, OwnVoices writing, and family sagas. You might also call it an epic love story. (Which, as you might know, is very different from a romance.)

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Sceptre for providing the DRC of “Homeseeking” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.