Holding Pattern (novel)

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.

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

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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