In Full Bloom

In Caroline Hwang’s debut novel, In Full Bloom, all Ginger Lee wants is a promotion at the fashion glossy A la Mode magazine. All her mother wants is a nice, professional Korean son-in-law. Unable to keep her mother at bay, Ginger reluctantly agrees to let her play matchmaker. At work, Ginger’s efforts at advancement are thwarted by style fiends better practiced in the art of office warfare. Away from the job, she’s surprised that her arranged dates are rejecting her before she gets a chance to reject them.

With wry humor, lively dialogue, and a compassionate take on being a single woman under a traditional mother’s matchmaking thumb, this insightful debut is both a deliciously scathing portrait of life behind the catwalk and an endearing tale of a delicate mother-daughter bond.