12 Aug / A Career in Books: A Novel about Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun by Kate Gavino [in Booklist]
Nina, Silvia, and Shirin’s “now-mythical friendship origin story” began at NYU in their freshman writing workshop. As the only Asian Americans, they initially avoided each other, until a class trip to the New York Public Library led to a coincidental bathroom break that led to a BFF-bonding Koreatown lunch.
Upon graduating, they moved into a Greenpoint apartment, and in seeking their first jobs, each chose a career in books: Nina as an editorial assistant at a major publishing house, Silvia with a (very wealthy) one-woman independent press, and Shirin at an academic publisher (although she still has to keep her weekend restaurant hostessing gig).
Last-to-be-employed Shirin, meanwhile, befriends their captivating 92-year-old neighbor, who turns out to be a Booker Prize-winning pioneer with endlessly exhilarating stories.
While Kate Gavino (Last Night’s Reading) empathically showcases independent APA women in search of fulfillment, she also lovingly celebrates Asian American publishing with clever inclusions: a Kaya Press mug, a Dictee poster, Amy Tan, and so on.
Presented in delightful four-part, black-and-white panels, Gavino’s memorable characters manage the quotidian, dissect challenges, navigate change, and celebrate triumphs – together.
YA/General Interest: Gavino’s trio learning to adult will undoubtedly resonate with older-teen audiences.
Review: “Graphic Novels,” Booklist, July 2022
Readers: Young Adult, Adult
Published: 2022