Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Oh My Mother! by Connie Wang - Available

Oh My Mother!

A Memoir in Nine Adventures

by Connie Wang
Connie Wang
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
“Humorous, endearing, and intimate.” —TIME
“Mother and daughter relationships are always tricky but this peripatetic pair has outdone all of us with this most excellent adventure written by my namesake, author Connie Wang.” —Connie Chung
A dazzling mother-daughter adventure around the world in pursuit of self-discovery, a family reckoning, and Asian American defiance
In Chinese, the closest expression to oh my god is wo de ma ya. It’s an interjection, a polite expletive, something to say when you’re out of words. Translated literally, it means oh my mother—the instinctual first person you think of when you’re on the cusp of losing it, or putting it all together.
In each essay of this hilarious, heartfelt, and pitch-perfectly honest memoir, journalist Connie Wang explores her complicated relationship to her stubborn and charismatic mother, Qing Li, through the “oh my god” moments in their travels together. From attending a Magic Mike strip show in Vegas to experimenting with edibles in Amsterdam to flip-flopping through Versailles, this iconic mother-daughter duo venture into the world to find their place in it, and sometimes rail against it—as well as against each other.
There are hijinks, capers, and adventures. There is also tenderness, growth, and discovery. In telling these stories about the places they’ve gone and the things they’ve done, Wang reveals another story: the true story of two women who finally learned that once we are comfortable with the feeling of not belonging—once we can reject the need to belong to any place, community, census, designation, or nation—we can experience something almost like freedom.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 9, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593742136
      • File size: 145674 KB
      • Duration: 05:03:29

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      August 1, 2023

      Mother-daughter relationships are the crux of many a memoir--and in the case of debut author Wang, many an adventure too. A former executive editor at Refinery29, she presents nine generally lighthearted stories, exploring her experiences as an often embarrassed yet inevitably fascinated Chinese American daughter and her complex, stylish, and insistently original mother, Qing Li. Wang's essays follow her and her mother as they journey across the globe and through life's milestones, from awkward timeshare vacations during Wang's sensitive teenage years to farcical adventures exploring Europe, Asia, and even the Las Vegas strip. Wang's voice as both a writer and narrator is consistently delightful, easily pulling listeners into each excruciating anecdote and sweet coming-of-age insight. And yet, in the end, one cannot but wish for more--not from Wang but from Qing Li, a charismatic woman whose eclectic worldview is presented in bursts and flashes and who remains enigmatic to the last page. VERDICT An entertaining, relatable, and stereotype-busting memoir of an immigrant mother-daughter duo and their scrapes, bumps, and romps to greater understanding.--Robin Chin Roemer

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading