Holding Pattern (novel)

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]

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]

• Penguin Random House