THE WEDDING PARTY

Caroline McLaughlin makes the most of this romp through a wedding day, told through the eyes of Auntie Xue, an ambitious, exasperated mother who is also the matriarch of her neighborhood. Fans of Chinese fiction will find much to admire as McLaughlin sets an energetic pace for a story filled with colorful characters and their slightly manic antics. She moves us from Auntie Xue to her clueless son--the reluctant bridegroom--and a slew of guests who span a wide age range. Listeners are taken back to the years just after the Cultural Revolution, and the reawakening of Chinese society is another bonus in these stories of everyday life. Told with gusto, this is a fun listening experience. M.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]