I picked up this title after seeing glowing reviews of Kwan's writing. While the discussions of class and racism kept me engaged, it was really the satirical elements of this novel that saved it from a lower rating. This is because I did not really like any of the characters in this one. They all seemed very flat and the lackluster plot did not help round out their identities. I found the footnotes to be humorous, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this title to other readers.