Once a Jasper, Now an Author
Stephanie DeLuca
Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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"The book is a fusion of The Joy Luck Club and Sex and the City," says co-author of the novel China Dolls and Manhattan College graduate. Yu wrote the novel with her cousin, Blossom Kon. "Chicklit," frequently compared to "chick flicks," is often accused of lacking substance, yet Yu says China Dolls distinguishes itself from other books of the genre.
"We personally love all chicklit, but we wanted to respond to some of these negative voices by really showcasing young women who care about both their careers and their boyfriends and who don't just view their jobs as a way to pass the time until they find Mr. Right," said Yu.
China Dolls also distinguishes itself because its main characters all come from Asian heritage, which Yu says is not typically the case.
She says, "We love reading chicklit books, but we were frustrated at the homogenous quality of many of the books out there. We wanted to show three women whose culture has affected both their personal and professional lives."
The three main characters, M.J. a sports journalist, Alex an attorney, and Lin a stockbroker, consider themselves modern Americans. However, they still must deal with the pressures imposed by their traditional success-driven Asian families.
Even though all the protagonists of China Dolls are Asian, Yu says that the novel contains universal themes that are relatable for all backgrounds and ethnicities. Issues common to all women, including dating, careers, and family, are the central focus of China Dolls.
"Everyone can relate to it because everyone has something similar," said Yu.
A major theme of the book, women working in "male professions," tackles the stereotypes and assumptions that all women, regardless of ethnicity, face in today's world.
Yu says that writing the book with her cousin was a great experience because "we were able to be completely honest with each other without worrying about hurting each other's feelings, and that makes writing together a lot easier."
Contrary to what most people imagine, Yu and Kon did not sit and write the book together. Yu explains, "We write stuff and edit each other's work or we would discuss certain scenes and try to make them what we wanted it to be in advance."
The pair cannot even tell who wrote what part of the book, since they constantly re-wrote each other's work. Through e-mail, the two were able to send each other excerpts back and forth, which led to quick feedback and editing.