China Dolls

Three Chinese-American 20-somethings pursue careers and Mr. Right in ultracompetitive New York City in Yu and Kan's fizzy debut. Alex, Lin and M.J. have been friends since childhood, and, as the novel opens, none is married, and each is feeling pressure from her immigrant family to move to the next stage in life. The women's desires, predictably, differ from their parents'. M.J., the trio's standout, dreams of being an on-air sports broadcaster (like author Yu), but finds her efforts to join the all-white-male club dispiriting. Alex, a lawyer (like author Kan), and Lin, a stockbroker, are financially successful, but are sick of being treated in their male-dominated fields as Asian arm candy. These shared struggles make the women's battles understandable to each other, but the authors, while providing a nifty insider's guide to Chinese shopping and restaurants, do little more than scratch the psychological surface of their characters. There's fun to be had, however, gallivanting from booze-drenched corporate parties to Chinatown fortune-tellers. (Feb)