The Original Daughter, by Jemimah Wei

This is a beautifully written first novel. The way this author explores relationships and emotions in this story is exceptional. The narrative focuses on the bond between two girls in a family, Genevieve and Arin, from its unusual and intense beginnings into its tortured and anguished future.

The main protagonist is Genevieve, who starts life as the only child of hard-working parents, both with complex and tough backgrounds. They are living with Genevieve’s paternal grandmother in a modest apartment. Then one day, Arin comes into their lives, a child relation of theirs who was unknown to them beforehand.

Arin and Genevieve form a strong sister bond, both determined to do their best in school to achieve academic success in the competitive small country of Singapore. However, their futures unfold in ways neither of them had predicted, and the differences in their personalities and the ways they each work toward success lead to a serious rift between them.

Arin, who was abandoned by her family and at a young age understood that she was not wanted by her parents, could not help but to have a different world outlook from Genevieve. While Arin could put up an act and manipulate people, Genevieve’s emotions were more honest, on the surface. She was not as confident and had no talent for faking it.

Meanwhile, Genevieve’s parents are parting ways, and then it seems that these four people who made a family are now scattered. Reading this, I felt the sadness and frustration about the fact that so often, decisions that people make when they are very young, before much perspective is gained, affect the rest of their lives. Despite all that transpires during this story, Arin and Genevieve are still young women at the end of its telling. This does offer some hope.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for providing me with a review copy of this memorable novel. I would recommend it to anyone and certainly read Jemimah Wei’s work again.