Starred review from August 5, 2024
A Filipino family forges a new life and uneasy reunion in Sy’s astonishing debut. Queenie, the 17-year-old narrator, arrives in New York City from the Philippines with her father to live with her mother, Mel, a nurse who came to the country five years earlier. The bookish and observant Queenie is quickly disenchanted by America: their Brooklyn building is grimy and graffiti-ridden, and she barely recognizes Mel, who was once earthy and nurturing and now wears heavy makeup and prizes money above all else. To make matters worse, Queenie’s dream of attending college is waylaid when Mel informs her she must work as a nurse’s aide for Ms. Flor, the wealthy Filipina American woman who paid for Mel’s nursing education. Silence casts a pall over the home (“words of endearment fester in our throats and render us incapable of saying anything”) as her father struggles with Mel’s closely guarded independence and her role as the breadwinner while he toils as a part-time janitor. The plot ramps up after Mel encourages Queenie to consider a romance with Ms. Flor’s grandson and she loses her virginity to him. Sy skillfully lays bare Queenie’s wide-ranging emotions, from rage to sadness, and reveals the nuances of the family members’ relationships. Rich details of Filipino culture such as folk stories and religious iconography are interwoven with gritty depictions of the compromises made by the immigrant characters, some of whom work in seedy massage parlors. It’s a knockout. Agent: Amanda Orozco, Transatlantic Literary.
February 21, 2025
Playwright Sy's moving debut novel follows 17-year-old Queenie, as, along with her younger brother and father, she arrives in the U.S. from the Philippines. They have come to reunite with Queenie's mother, who has hardened during the years she's spent working in the States; it's as if the country has reshaped her spirit. Queenie's journey is tenderly rendered as she shoulders adult responsibilities too early, sacrificing her dreams of college to support her family's survival. Meanwhile, Queenie's father struggles with his diminishing role in a society that feels alien, and her brother spirals into his own quiet rebellion. Narrator Becca Q. Co channels the story's emotional weight, allowing listeners to deeply inhabit Queenie's perspective while observing the cultural forces governing her life. Co lyrically delivers Sy's thoughtful prose, lingering on small moments that reveal profound truths about displacement and identity. Sy skillfully communicates the tension of living between cultures, where love and duty clash with ambition. The tale is poignant yet sharp, balancing moments of quiet reflection with raw emotional power. Through Queenie's eyes, listeners witness the price of survival and the ache of broken connections. VERDICT A universal tale of yearning, resilience, and the bittersweet search for belonging, recommended for those who enjoyed Jean Kwok's Girl in Translation.--Susan McClellan
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