Book Summary and Reviews of The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang

Book Summary

An engrossing and original story about a woman who moves from Taiwan to California and builds an unexpected life there, for readers of Olive Kitteridge and Hello Beautiful.

Joan Liang's life is a series of surprising developments: she never thought she would leave Taiwan for California, nor did she expect her first marriage to implode—especially as quickly and spectacularly as it did. She definitely did not expect to fall in love with an older, wealthy American and become his fourth wife and mother to his youngest children. Through all this she wrestles with one persistent question: Will she ever truly feel satisfied?

As Joan and her children grow older and their circumstances evolve, she makes a drastic change: she opens the Satisfaction Café, a place where people can visit for a bit of conversation and to be heard and understood. Through this radical yet pragmatic business, Joan constructs a lasting legacy.

Vivid, comic, and intensely moving, The Satisfaction Café is a novel about found family, the joy and loneliness that come with age, and how we can give ourselves permission to seek satisfaction and connection at any stage of life.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. In the opening paragraph, the reader is told that Joan "was married for only six weeks before she stabbed her husband" (page 3). How does this line set up your expectations for the novel? What does it do for the tone of the book?
2. The novel is divided into four parts: "The Trick to a Good Marriage," "The House Was Promised," "The Demon Rock," and "How to Start a Conversation." How do the events in each section relate to their respective titles?
3. Joan fears the judgment of her family and friends when she gets divorced, yet ends up marrying Bill, a thrice-divorced American man. What role does divorce play in the novel? Discuss how the novel portrays divorce from various perspectives involved (spouses, children, friends).
...