by Kirstin Chen
First published 2022
Ava Wong built the perfect life as a Chinese American lawyer married to a surgeon, but her marriage crumbles while she stays home with their toddler son. Her law degree collects dust. Her beautiful home feels like a prison. Then Winnie Fang reappears after twenty years. Ava's former college roommate from Mainland China had mysteriously dropped out, but now she returns transformed. Gone is the shy, awkward girl Ava remembered. Winnie wears luxury goods and carries a coveted orange Birkin bag. She reveals her secret: an ingenious counterfeit handbag operation importing near-perfect replicas of designer bags. Winnie needs someone with a U.S. passport to expand the business, someone above suspicion like Ava. Together they build their scheme into a spectacular success. But when everything threatens to collapse and Winnie disappears again, Ava faces the consequences alone. This sharp, comic caper explores two women who refuse to accept the limits placed on them.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: China, United States
Period: 21st Century
288 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow