Off the Menu

by Christine Son

An extraordinary debut about second-generation Asian-American women trying to live up to society�s high standards, as well as their own.

Even though it�s been ten years since their Houston high school days, co-valedictorians and best friends Whitney Lee, Hercules Huang, and Audrey Henley still delight in their once-a-month get-togethers where they talk, laugh, and confide in each other� although not about everything. Because each young woman has a deep, dark secret they think they could never share. Not even with their best friends. Then, during a girls� weekend getaway, these three friends wind up revealing their most intimate truths�and realize that to get straight As in the real world, all you have to do is let go of the need to be perfect…

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Friendship

368 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2008

Reviews

[Jaspreet · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exciting and historic night!! While the country is getting ready for a new administration, I am celebrating my own historic (albeit not with as wide an audience) moment by conducting my own author interview with Christine Son. It is like having my own holy trinity--- getting to participate in a historic election, having the author of a book I really enjoyed visit my site, and being part of a virtual tour!!

Before we get to the interview, I am going to give my review of the book. Basically, this book is a good fit for anyone who has felt torn between what he/she should want and what he/she actually desires. I gave a summary and talked about reading this book during a Sunday Salon post. Even though the three main characters had different struggles, I could relate to all of them. Whitney is an attorney in a stressful law firm environment who is yearning to have her voice heard through her singing. Audrey wants her mother's approval and blessing as she moves forward with her engagement. Hercules is a successful chef who struggles to have a good relationship with her father. Who has not wondered about their career path? Who has not felt frustrated when the introduction of their partner to the family has not been smooth? Whose life is not marked with constantly trying to improve familial relationships? My favorite part of the book was seeing the relationship between the three women deepen and broaden. I liked the way the author captured the transition from feeling fearful about sharing too much to reaching a level of comfort where they could not only share their feelings, but support each other in a meaningful way.

Now, please join me in welcoming Christine Son!! (APPLAUSE, WHISTLES, CHEERS!!!!) I decided to ask her questions about her writing process and how her life has changed since she became published.

1. How do you balance being a writer and a lawyer?

It can be difficult sometimes, trying to balance what feels like two full-time jobs. Actually, being a lawyer and being a writer can feel like more than two full-time jobs. But I really enjoy both, so I try to be patient and deal with things as they come. For example, if I'm on a creative streak, I'll spend more time writing, whether it's at night or early in the morning or all weekend. And if I have a hearing (like I do today!) or a trial or just a whole lot going on in the office, then I have to be patient enough to put my writing to the side for the moment. I'm rather impulsive and impatient by nature. I always feel like I have to do this now. Now, now, now! So that urgency motivates me to do both, I think. Also, I'm quite the insomniac, and my mind's always going, so if I'm just going to lay in bed, I might as well get up and do something, no?


2. Before writing, do you have any special rituals or practices to get into "the zone"?

Hmm, special rituals or practices. No, I don't do anything to get into "the zone" of writing. But I will procrastinate for a bit before I actually put words to novel! I'll play ten games of Spider Solitaire. I'll fiddle on Facebook for a while. I'll check email and read the news and horoscopes and just about anything to delay the actual writing. Maybe in a way, that is preparing myself to get into the zone of writing, although if you mean "zone" as a zen-like state (akin to the endorphic high of running, maybe), I'm not sure that I have ever been able to anticipate those. Writing is a strange thing. One day, I may sit and stare at the computer for hours and then write 20 words, all 20 of which are awful. The next, I may spit out five pages of what I think is perfect writing.


3. How do you contend with writer's block?

Writer's block--oh, dreaded writer's block. One writer I know once said that she never gets writer block because she always knows what she's writing (kind of circular, no?), and I thought, "how nice for you." It was a bit like hearing, "oh, I just can't keep on any weight," or "I have so much money, I really don't know what I'm going to do with all of it." I have writer's block on a pretty regular basis, and maybe it's because I will vaguely plot out what it is I want to write before writing and then change my mind midway through my novel. When I'm stumped, I will take a break for a few days, mostly so that I don't go insane with frustration. A lot of times, I'll find that I don't know what needs to come next because what I've done with a particular character (whether her personality or her plotline) isn't congruous with who she is, or who she needs to be. So, sometimes, writer's block signifies that I've taken a wrong turn somewhere. And I'll reassess what this character's function is, or what the backbone of the book is supposed to be, or what it is that I want to say with the book as a whole. In other words, a lot of times, I'll step back and look at the novel panoramically and try to figure out what the point of it is. Which jogs my memory as to why this character is in the book at all. And sometimes, I'll see what needs to come next in a random moment in the car or in the shower or in my dreams. I love the HP commercial with Gwen Stefani, in which she talks about the creative process. It's not something you can switch on or off. It just happens. And she says, "it's just that simple. And it's just that hard." I love it. It's absolutely true.


4. What has surprised you most about becoming a published novelist?

Well, so many things surprised me about becoming a published author. I'm surprised that I am a published author, for one! Ha! The entire process of publishing, how long it takes, the editorial expertise from my publisher that I wasn't expecting but am thrilled to death by. I'm surprised by how supportive my friends are (I don't know why I thought they would regard it as just another thing, that they wouldn't quite appreciate how hard I'd worked or how difficult it is to become published). I'm surprised that I am even more anxious to get my next novel finished or that I'm thinking of my third while I'm finishing up my second (I guess I thought that once I reached the mountain top of publication, the urgency would abate a bit. It hasn't). This is a great question, but I'm afraid I don't have a very coherent answer. Verbose, yes, but not terribly coherent. I'm just so grateful that all the hours I've put into my writing has yielded something, and that I get to meet wonderful bloggers like you who read my book and like it! That's what surprises me (and tickles me to bits) the most and the best. When I hear from readers who say lovely things like, "I loved it!"

[Elevate Difference · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always a little leery of genres like “chick lit” and “multicultural fiction,” which I see as the publishing industry’s clumsy way of categorizing literature written by women and people of color. I remember reading Amy Tan’s memoir The Opposite of Fate in which she bemoans the fact that her writing is automatically classified as “multicultural” or “ethnic” even though her experience has been that readers of all races and backgrounds identify with her stories and characters. I bring this up because I am reviewing Off the Menu as part of Christine Son's virtual book tour for this debut novel. Since the novel’s main protagonists are three Asian American women, who are dealing with life issues ranging from family and professional expectations to their identity as Asian Americans in the larger U.S. culture, my initial expectation of the book was that it would be reminiscent of Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, which also happens to be one of my favorite books. As with Tan’s novels, Off the Menu transcends race and culture—but in its own unique way.

Hercules Huang, Whitney Lee and Audrey Henley have remained friends since graduating as co-Valedictorians from a private high school in Houston, Texas. On the surface, they appear successful and accomplished, but each woman is keeping secrets from her family and her two friends about her true goals, aspirations, and heartaches. Whitney is a lawyer at a high-powered Houston law firm, who secretly performs as a singer at nightclubs. She wishes to escape the boardroom for the stage, but is afraid of disappointing her parents, who are Korean immigrants. Hercules, a well-regarded restaurateur, is haunted by a troubled relationship with her father, a Chinese immigrant who seems to constantly disapprove of her choices in life. Audrey is of Korean descent, but was adopted by Texas billionaire parents as a baby and is struggling to find her place in the world.

I was experiencing a particularly stressful week while reading this book and found myself drawn in by the emotional honesty of the protagonists while also appreciating their keen sense of humor. I think this is the key to keeping one’s sanity in this day and age. Son kept the book fresh and entertaining with lines like Whitney’s description of her parents, “standing side by side with identical boyish haircuts, gray cable-knit sweaters and dark-rimmed glasses, they looked like nerdy nesting dolls.” I also appreciated seeing Asian Americans portrayed in a different light from the “model minority” stereotype that is typically portrayed in the media. These characters have passions, contradictions, and ambivalence about the choices they have made, the “road not taken” in life.

You’ll want to check this out this book if you’re looking for a well-written, entertaining read with a dollop of reality for good measure.

Review by Gita Tewari

[Kay Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was awhile ago since I read it, but I remember liking how it was pg, wholesome, showing family relationships, and ambitions to succeed in life.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Great character development.

[Heather Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a slow read but a nice wholesome story

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Houston, Texas, three friends with very different lives, backgrounds, and careers graduate high school as co-valedictorians; their friendship last beyond high school and through college, but how well do they really know one another after all of these years. Does Hercules Huang know Whitney Lee's secret desire? Does Audrey Henley know the familial struggles Whitney and Hercules deal with daily from their immigrant parents who are steeped in tradition and their homeland culture?

These three characters, despite their differences, are more similar than they realize, and as the story unfolds, these characters evolve in the ways they could never have anticipated, but only once they have realized their best assets are held in their long-lasting friendship. Hercules is a master chef who owns her own restaurants, but her relationship with her father is strained at best, while Whitney is a third year attorney at a major law firm that only has one minority on staff--her. Audrey is an adopted Asian child from a wealthy family who teaches first-grade students at a local academy for intelligent students, but she doesn't consider herself as a minority.

All three of these characters are under pressure from themselves, their families, and society to exceed everyone's expectations. But in the midst of trying to achieve these goals and objectives, Hercules, Whitney, and Audrey discover they want something more, something different, something that is their own. Hercules' restaurant chain is on the cusp of expansion, she's writing articles for the National Spectator, and she's finalizing a deal with a cookware manufacturer, but there is something missing in her life. Whitney is a top attorney in her third year with a firm that can only be described as an old boys' network, but she longs for something off the beaten path. Audrey is a school teacher, but her dream lies in the Ivory Tower of academia.

Despite the longevity of their friendship, these characters never really open up to one another until they take their first girls' only trip to Austin, Texas. The ability of these characters to keep their frustrations and dreams trapped in side is something readers can relate to, particularly if the readers perceive themselves as over-achievers like Whitney, Audrey, and Hercules.

This novel touches upon the struggles many immigrants must feel when adjusting to a new home, but it also examines the transitions felt by all humanity when we move from our small high school community to college and to the workforce. Hercules is a strong and brash entrepreneur, but at the same time she is vulnerable. Whitney is strong, but flexible when the need arises, and Audrey is a bit naive, but strong in her convictions. When Jimmy Fujimoto blazes onto the scene in this novel, he nearly steals the show. His presence stands this friendship on its head and has all of these women calling into question some of their deepest convictions and beliefs.

[Tammy Dotts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literary scholars may debate the definition of “chick lit,” but Off the Menu falls firmly in the genre no matter how tightly or loosely it’s defined. Three Asian-American women struggle with their parents’ expectations and try to follow their dreams.

Christine Son writes in a light, breezy style. The focus of each chapter rotates among the women. Whitney is a lawyer in a corporate firm, but yearns to be a singer. Audrey is the adopted daughter of Houston socialites and wants nothing more than to be a literature professor. Hercules named herself after a favorite anime character in her native China, not realizing it was a masculine name in the U.S. She’s a successful chef, planning to open a second restaurant while dealing with her Chinese father’s refusal to adopt American habits or learn English.

Hercules is the only one of the three who stands out. Whitney and Audrey are all but interchangeable. While Whitney struggles to come to terms with her Korean parents’ opinions of how adult children should behave and prosper, Audrey struggles to come to terms with her socialite parents’ opinions of who adult children should marry. What makes Hercules stand out is the unlikeability with which she’s portrayed for most of the book. She screams at her staff and her father as if to prove that she is capable of making it on her own terms. The character softens toward the end of the book, but that serves to dull her edges and make her no clearer of a character than WhitneyAudrey.

The Asian heritage of all of the characters comes into play, usually in how they relate with their parents. However, the characters could almost be of any ethnic or economic class. The reader spends the most time with the characters when they’re together, apart from their families and in innocuous settings.

The most memorable character in the novel is Jimmy, a struggling artist Audrey encounters in a coffee shop. After Jimmy’s relationship fell apart, his partner refused to move out of their house. His legal troubles allow Audrey to bring him into Whitney’s orbit, and a road trip to Austin introduces him to Hercules. The scenes with Jimmy leap off the page, and readers may find themselves wishing Son had developed a novel around him rather than the three women.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gave up on this book after about 21 pages and set it aside, didn't like it. But, one of our Book Women members said how she was miffed when members didn't at least read the book (and I don't like that either - you've got to try), so I picked it back up, in order to be ready to discuss at our October Retreat. I'm now 2/3 of the way through and have warmed, somewhat to the 3 main characters, but not to the author. Another female high brow author (shades of "She Matters") - here's an example from page 27: "...she sounded like a heady mix of Diana Krall, Susan Tedeschi, Alison Krauss and Patty Griffin." I recognize two names there and their music doesn't appeal to me at all, but that's not the point...snob-appeal. And she throws those names out again further in. One of the protagonists is heiress to an oil fortune, one is a well-positioned chef, and the third is a well-educated lawyer in a large firm but she really wants to be a singer. They all have problems of one kind or another, they're all of Asian heritage. Hard for me to relate to rich people (except to the singer character - I always wanted to be a background singer for someone like James Taylor). I'll keep plodding through it...

Now I've finished it, my initial reaction is not changed. My favorite character was the chef so I continued reading to find out what happened to her, and it was rather a stock sort of ending...(spoiler alert)...she ends up getting engaged, nearly reconciled with her unhappy father, etc. I will definitely not read this author again nor would I recommend her. She doesn't credit the reader with very much intelligence (lots of exposition, explanation - as if we can't work out some things for ourselves). Her characterization of Asians (which she is herself) is stock, rather uninteresting because of it since I didn't learn anything new. How about depicting an Asian character who does poorly in school, takes drugs or gets pregnant outside of wedlock, and hates her parents? Maybe there could be something interesting there. Or how about an Asian author writing about a different ethnicity?

[Book Concierge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three Asian-American over-achieving women are brought up short by the need to balance family expectations with their own desires. They call themselves the Valedictorians, because they all graduated with the exact same GPA from their exclusive private high school. Now in their late 20s they continue to be best friends. Whitney Lee is an attorney at one of the prestige law firms in Houston, but really wants to be a singer. Audrey Henley, adopted as an infant into a billionaire’s family, is working furiously to finish her Ph.D. with the dream of teaching at a university. Hercules Huang is a fantastic chef with a growing restaurant empire, but also has an elderly father who does nothing but criticize her and, despite being in America for over 2 decades, still speaks only Chinese.

Son had a fairly good premise for this, her debut novel. But she failed in its execution. The characters and situations are racial stereotypes – so much so, that some of the scenarios were just embarrassing to read (e.g. the chef goes to two different Mexican restaurants, and gets food poisoning at both). The dialogue is juvenile and totally lame. The women are immature and superficial, behaving as if they are still in junior high not professional women near 30. For example:
She walked over to the chosen equipment, and when she saw the price tag, she was overjoyed. They were the most expensive items in the store, and she took the steep cost as a sure sign that they were meant for her boyfriend.

I never really cared at all what happened to any of them, I just wanted them to get on with it so the book would end. If I didn’t have to read it for a challenge I would have abandoned it by page 30.

[Alea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I identified with all three main characters (Whitney, Hercules, and Audrey) for all sorts of reasons. I definitely understood Whitney's fear of sharing her love of singing with her parents. I went to school for art and make a living from it now, my mother did the same thing but in her case I guess her parents had some doubts about if that was a good idea or not. I got nothing but encouragement and frankly, I have no idea what else i would have done. That's just who I am! You have to be who you are!

I was very excited about the idea of being a modern Asian-American women with families that came to America for a new life. I definitely understand what it is like to grow up in a culture that is different from your parents. It can be hard to understand where each other are coming from!

I also loved the strong bond these three women created and maintained over a long period of time. How they made time for each other in their busy schedules each month at their dinners. They were really there for each other, what a great example of friendship!

Each of the three characters had great individual stories and when they came together everything just got even better! I think my favorite character ended up being Hercules, she has such a spunk and fire, I would love to be around someone like that! I also thought all the secondary characters (the families and other friends of the women) were also really nicely developed as well.

Just like with, The Smart One and the Pretty one, my only wish was that the book had taken a bit longer to wrap up, maybe another chapter or two! Maybe a sequel? Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three friends; Whitney Lee, Hercules Huang, and Audrey Henley have been there for each other through the good times as well as the bad. There is one thing all three of these ladies agree on and that is…it’s hard being successful women.

Whitney works for a law firm but she has a secret desire that not even Hercules and Audrey know about. Whitney wants to become a singer. Then there is restaurant owner and chef, Hercules Huang. She wants to have restaurants all over the world but there is one problem putting a cramp in the whole thing and that is Hercules’ father. Last but not least is Audrey Henley, who is the adopted daughter of a Texas billionaire. Audrey has the perfect life. She couldn’t ask for anything else expect for her parents approval of her boyfriend.

Whitney, Hercules, and Audrey were good characters. I liked reading each of their stories. My favorite character would have to be Hercules, because she had a potty mouth worse then a guys but the best part was the things that would come out of her mouth had me laughing. I wasn’t sure if I would like this book but it only took a few pages into the story to get me going full speed ahead. Off the Menu is a fun, up-beat, and chick lit book. If you are looking for a new author to read then you should give Christine Son a try.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Off the Menu, Christine Son tells the story of three Asian-American women who have been friends since high school. Whitney Lee is a lawyer who'd rather pursue a music career, but her parents' expectations keep her from attempting to fulfill her dream. Audrey Henley is expected to maintain a certain image as the adopted daughter of the billionaire owner of a petroleum company, but all she wants is to become an English professor and marry her boyfriend, who is content in his job as a teacher. And Hercules Huang is a famous chef and restaurant owner who is loud and obnoxious, but only to hide her loneliness and hostile feelings toward her father.

Until they take a road trip to Audrey's parents' home in Austin, Texas, the three don't really confide in one another about their troubles, worried about what the others will think. This aspect of their friendship felt real to me, as no one wants to feel like a failure around someone they perceive to be extremely successful. But the joys of friendship come when you break down the walls and bear your vulnerable souls.

Read the full review on Diary of an Eccentric.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd give this book 2.5 stars, if it were possible -- it's better than OK, but not quite a solid Good. The first half of the story dragged along with the introduction of the main characters and the trials/tribulations of their lives. While light and breezy, neither the story nor the characters were particularly engaging. In classic chick-lit form, the three women have their individual challenges, but these "best friends" don't really know each other all that well. The book picks up with the introduction of Jimmy, whose insight and candor prompt the women to begin to share their true selves, deepening their relationships. In the end, I cared about the characters and cheered for them to achieve their dreams, it just took a while to get there.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three women who are close friends since high school, but rivals in their quest to "top" each other's accomplishments. They discover that they don't really know each other and think that each other has "it all". Once they get through all the material crap to discover that they really need each other and their friendship to get through difficult times it becomes more interesting & real life. Sad that so many years would go by and they didn't share their good & bad times.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never know what to expect when I pick up a debut novel, but I was not disappointed with Christine Son's book. Off the Menu revolves around the lives of three very different Asian women each harboring their own secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its lively characters. If you liked The Friday Night Knitting Club, you might like this. Well done for a first novel.

[Brit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this for young ladies who are searching for their dream job but their parents, their fear, or their men are getting in the way... GREAT book. Kind of long and wordy at times but very well written and relatable.

[LuAnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting story about three long-time childhood friends who lean on one another when they need it the most. I really wanted to see an epilogue to this story - a follow up of the characters a year or two years later. Just seemed unfinished to me.

[Anna]

It became too predictable, so I stopped reading it. Being in the legal field myself, it was obvious that the writer was a lawyer. The writing was rather dull.

[Spacecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and light book about 3 Asian American women going through life and dealing with their families expectations.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three very different Asian American womens friendship continues to grow and change as they near 30, they learn to share they're dreams and secrets with each other. Very good.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. I thought it was too long and could have been just as effective with 100 less pages. But, I liked it nonetheless.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read about the lives of asian girls growing up in America. I enjoyed the book and will look for additional books by Christine Son.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate to this one.