Kaleidoscope
A Novel
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A dazzling novel about the tumultuous relationship between two sisters, a shocking loss that changes everything, and the life-altering adventure that follows.
Morgan and Riley Brighton are joint heirs to Kaleidoscope: a glittering, ‘global bohemian’ shopping empire—created in sleepy Oregon and catapulted into haute New York—sourcing luxury goods from around the world. Morgan, statuesque beauty and Kaleidoscope’s talented designer, is adored by all, especially by the Brighton parents. Yet no one loves her more than Riley, whose shy and adventurous spirit is exalted by her sister.
When a catastrophic event dismantles the Brightons’ world, Riley must stand in the spotlight for the first time in her life, with questions about her family that challenge her memory, identity, and loyalty. Restless and heartbroken, she sets off across the globe with the person she least expects, to seek truths about those she thought she knew best—herself included.
Kaleidoscope is at once an examination of the precious bond between sisters as well as a vibrant story of exploration and surprising love. Moving and funny, warm and wise, Cecily Wong delivers a transporting, addictive page-turner that will tempt your appetite for food and travel and change the way you imagine your place in the world.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Ambitious and unabashedly romantic, Kaleidoscope is as heartbreaking and hilarious as life itself. Novelist Cecily Wong draws us into the story of the Brighton family, who—following a vacation to Mumbai—launch Kaleidoscope, a fashionable, Indian-inspired clothing-and-housewares boutique that soon becomes a global sensation, thanks in no small part to teenage daughter Morgan’s bold designs. Happy to stay in her older sister’s shadow, independent-minded Riley follows her own path, until a shocking accident pushes her to reevaluate her place in her family and in the world. True to the book’s title, Wong tells her young protagonists’ story in fragments that shift through time and place, cohering into a beautiful, sparkling whole. Although it’s fast-paced enough to be read in a single sitting, Kaleidoscope is a novel you’ll want to linger with, full of fascinating characters and moments of arresting beauty.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Wong (Diamond Head) captures the fierce bond and stark differences between two mixed-race Chinese American sisters, one of whom dies in a freak accident, in her penetrating latest. After a family vacation in India, Hank and Karen Liu Brighton open an import and textiles boutique called Kaleidoscope in Eugene, Ore., to cash in on Americans' interest in Eastern aesthetics. Soon, they move to New York City to open a new Kaleidoscope branch, just as their older daughter, Morgan, begins studying at the Parsons School of Design in the city. Morgan becomes the company's main designer, shaping vibrant Indian-inspired textiles into a panoply of culturally appropriated styles such as kimonos and Mexican embroidery, while her sister Riley, ever the observer, studies anthropology at Barnard. Then, Morgan is killed by a collapsed construction crane. Hank and Karen find refuge in sleeping pills and alcohol while Kaleidoscope wanes; Riley blindly wanders Manhattan collecting newspaper articles detailing Morgan's death; and Morgan's boyfriend, James, quits his job and plans a whirlwind monthslong trip abroad accompanied by Riley. After Karen reveals secrets that undermine Riley's impression of her seemingly perfect sister, she wishes she'd been more help to Morgan. The author balances her characters' palpable emotions with whip-smart commentary on cultural commodification, as the sisters joke about their parents' "Doors of the World" fundraiser, in which doors procured from various countries are auctioned off to wealthy donors. It's a smash.
