S3, Ep 7: Sibling estrangement in The Original Daughter, with author Jemimah Wei

I am a huge book nerd, so I am always looking for ways to incorporate books into my work here on the podcast, and on the Bad Mothers substack. Speaking of, on Tuesday April 28, you can join the book club chat for Katherine Angel’s Daddy Issues live on Substack.I think books — including and maybe especially novels — have the power to teach us so much about ourselves and the world around us. They help us begin to understand what it’s like to be in another’s shoes. And I think this can be true when we’re experiencing estrangement, too.I was entranced by The Original Daughter, by Jemimah Wei. It’s set in Singapore in the very recent past and centers on a small family, in particular two sisters who become estranged. I’m delighted that I got to speak to Jemimah about her beautiful novel, which is now out in paperback so if you haven’t read it yet, go get it! We avoid spoilers here as best we can. Buy The Original Daughter.Jemimah Wei was born and raised in Singapore and splits her time between Singapore and the United States. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree, winner of the William Van Dyke Short Story Prize, and formerly held the Wallace Stegner Fellowship and Felipe P. De Alba Fellowship at Stanford University and Columbia University respectively. The Original Daughter, debuted at #1 on The Straits Times bestseller list, is a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice. The Original Daughter won the Country Award for the Chommanard International Women’s Literary Award, was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, and named a Best Book of Spring by TIME, Foreign Policy, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Vogue, and more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monicacardenas.substack.com/subscribe