The Nest meets Crazy Rich Asians in this sharp comedic novel about a Chinese-American family´s attempts (or not) to fulfill its dying patriarch´s final bequest.
Some of us are more equal than others....
Meet Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Meet Stanley´s family: son Fred, frustrated that his years of academic striving (Harvard MBA!) haven´t protected him from career stagnation; daughter Kate, balancing a capricious boss, a distracted husband, and two small children; ex-wife Linda, familiar with and suspicious of Stanley´s grandiose ways; and second wife Mary, giver of foot rubs and ego massages.
For years, Stanley has insistently claimed that he´s worth a small fortune. Now, as the Huangs come to terms with Stanley´s approaching death, they are also starting to fear that Stanley´s small fortune may be more small than fortune. A study in the difference between expectation and reality (npr.org), a bittersweet rumination on what we owe our families, and a sharp-eyed look at Silicon Valley´s culture of excess, Family Trust is a dryly cynical (Globe and Mail) satire of the American dream.