About the In-Person Adventure

“A heart-tugging exploration of love, belonging and the meaning of family.”
—Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl

We invite you to celebrate the release of New York Times bestselling author Jean Kwok’s new book, which explores the complexities of identity, motherhood and family through the harsh reality of China’s controversial One Child Policy, in this Chinese Dinner Adventure!

Join us at Mandarin House Chinese Restaurant for dinner and a lively book discussion. Experience the delicious joys of authentic, Chinese cuisine from a classic, San Diego establishment and chat with Jean about the inspirations behind her new book, which tells the story of two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. They’re in a divided city—separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child.

Your Adventure includes a delicious, authentic Chinese dinner, hot tea, tax, gratuity, a hardcover copy of The Leftover Woman to be signed at the event, and an opportunity to meet the author up close and personal in an intimate setting.

About the Author and Book

Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Leftover Woman,Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation and Mambo in Chinatown. Her work has been published in twenty countries and taught in universities, colleges and high schools across the world.

Jean immigrated from Hong Kong to Brooklyn when she was five and worked in a Chinatown clothing factory for much of her childhood while living in an unheated, roach-infested apartment. In between her undergraduate degree at Harvard and MFA in fiction at Columbia, she worked for three years as a professional ballroom dancer. Jean is trilingual, fluent in Dutch, Chinese and English, and studied Latin for seven years. She divides her time between the Netherlands and New York City.

The Leftover Woman is an evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women. Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly desperate decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca’s job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

About Mandarin House

The Mandarin House is ultimately the result of an improbable meeting of two young friends randomly meeting again after 5 years at an airport on the way to America. John – Tat – Law and Bill – Wai Choi – Man were young teenagers growing up working and cooking in the restaurants of Hong Kong in the 1960’s. A chance meeting brought them back together and sent the pair on a journey from the East coast of America to beautiful San Diego over a span of multiple years and working and cooking in multiple restaurants along the way.

But with a chance to finally do something of their own, the young chefs found an opportunity to transform an old diner into their dream and, in 1977, The Mandarin House of La Jolla was born. They serve all the best versions of all the classic Chinese dishes that you know and love in a fun, retro yet modern environment. Their classically trained chefs are still using traditional techniques coupled with their original recipes to bring you a dining experience unlike anywhere else in the world.