A new home, a new school, and mysteries to solve. How does 14-year-old Wendy Wong solve all kinds of puzzles in a family proud of their Chinese culture, even if sometimes at odds with their new American life?
"Intrigue in the House of Wong," a young adult novel by Amy Kwei, blends suspense with humor as Wendy moves from insular yet familiar Chinatown to New York's Upper East Side where her family plans to open a restaurant.
There are obstacles to overcome. The local community board objects to the restaurant's storefront and halts construction. Bricks thrown by hoodlums shatter a restaurant window. And just when it seems the restaurant problems are over, Wendy overhears a possible plot to harm a family friend. Wendy must stop the plot and persuade her parents to go beyond their life-long practice of trusting only fellow Chinese immigrants and learn to reach out to their neighbors.
As the first in her family to win a scholarship to an exclusive private school, Wendy feels the pressure of familial responsibility. On one hand, she wants to make her family proud; on the other Wendy would like not to worry about how every one of her actions reflects on her family, as her parents and grandparents keep reminding her.
Wendy's instant messages with her friend Debbie and her growing friendship with David DiVario give her a chance as a 'normal' teenager. Her family doesn't even want her to date until college. How can she and David become more than just friends?
Ms. Kwei gives the teenagers a modern voice while also explaining the older Wongs' reluctance to interact with non-Chinese. They describe the exclusion laws that curtailed immigration and kept families apart. This is done at a banquet that includes the Wongs, the DiVarios, Mrs. Horton, and Ben Zvis, reflecting New York's multi-ethnic makeup. During the sumptuous courses which Ms. Kwei so flavorfully describes, each guest makes his or her point how each has experienced being an immigrant or newcomer, and how each makes connections, not only through ethnic groups, but work, church, and social groups.
Can Wendy foil the plot to harm the family friend? Will the Wongs' restaurant succeed? Only if Wendy can keep a step ahead of kidnappers and only if her family can learn to trust the 'outsiders' they've traditionally avoided.
Readers can order the book from Tatspublishing.com, B&N, Borders, Wal-Mart, and Costco. The book includes a Reading Group Guide, making it an excellent choice for a book group or class.
Anna Fang is a member of the Women's National Book Association/Boston Chapter, the Asian Women's Book Group of Boston, Mass., and the Mother-Daughter Book Group in Lexington/Belmont, Mass.
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