Holding Pattern
AuthorJenny Xie
Audio read byAnnie Q.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreLiterary fiction
PublisherRiverhead Books
Publication date
June 20, 2023
ISBN9780593539705

Holding Pattern is a 2023 debut novel written by Jenny Xie.[1] The novel explores themes of immigration, belonging, mother-daughter relationships, and the diverse ways people learn to support one another.

Plot

Holding Pattern follows 28-year-old Kathleen Cheng, a doctoral student who drops out of school and moves back home after her engagement breaks. Her mother, Marissa, immigrated from China and has a surprising new love interest. As Kathleen gets involved in helping her mother plan her wedding to a tech entrepreneur, she also takes on a job at an unconventional start-up. Throughout this process, Kathleen and Marissa explore their shared history, leading to a profound understanding of how they can support each other in their personal growth while also recognizing the obstacles that unknowingly held them back in their relationship.[2][3]

Critical reception

Holding Pattern was well-received by critics.

NPR's Manuela López Restrepo highlighted how "the novel touches on the commodification of intimacy, when Kathleen takes work as a professional cuddler, and the cultural boundaries that make her mother hesitant to accept this line of work."[4]

Tammy Tarng, writing for The New York Times Book Review, called the novel "exquisite and wise"[5] while Publishers Weekly referred to it as "funny and sharp".[6]

Kirkus Reviews called the novel "an engaging and heartwarming story," writing, "Xie is a deft chronicler of the ways power shifts between people. What emerges is a novel offering a lucid examination of a range of relationships: those between a mother and daughter, old friends, and more passing acquaintances".[7]

Booklist's Sabrina Szos similarly highlighted how Holding Pattern "is full of mother-daughter emotions and beautiful moments of love and light".[8]

Sarah Neilson, writing for Shondaland, said, "Xie is a brilliant writer, taking the reader inside Kathleen’s world while also exploring the notion of identity and home in late-stage capitalist America". Neilson further noted that the "characters are hard not to get attached to".[9] Alta's Eva Recinos further noted that "Xie crafts a complex mother-daughter relationship, exploring the muddiness of care and connection between two very different people."[10]

Booklist also reviewed the audiobook narrated by Annie Q.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Lim, Megan; Kelly, Mary Louise; Kenin, Justine (June 20, 2023). "Jenny Xie tackles a fraught mother-daughter relationship in novel 'Holding Pattern'". NPR. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Book Marks reviews of Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  3. ↑ López Restrepo, Manuela (2023-06-20). "Mother-daughter relationships are fraught. Jenny Xie explores how". NPR. Archived from the original on 2023-08-18. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  4. ↑ Restrepo, Manuela López (June 20, 2023). "Mother-daughter relationships are fraught. Jenny Xie explores how". NPR. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ Tarng, Tammy (June 20, 2023). "Dumped by Her Boyfriend, She Takes a Job Cuddling Others". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie". Publishers Weekly. 2023-04-03. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  7. ↑ "Holding Pattern". Kirkus Reviews. 2023-04-24. Archived from the original on 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  8. ↑ Szos, Sabrina (2023-05-01). "Holding Pattern". Booklist. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  9. ↑ Neilson, Sarah (2023-06-26). "Jenny Xie's Debut Novel, 'Holding Pattern,' Is a Mother-Daughter Coming-of-Age Story". Shondaland. Archived from the original on 2023-06-27. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  10. ↑ Recinos, Eva (2023-07-10). "The Right Touch". Alta Online. Archived from the original on 2023-07-22. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  11. ↑ "Holding Pattern". Booklist. July 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
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