The Foremost Good Fortune

Summary (from the publisher): “The Foremost Good Fortune is a beautiful story of womanhood, motherhood, travel and loss, written by an author of rare and radiant grace.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love.) In 2007, American writer Susan Conley moves to Beijing with her husband and two young sons. Six months later, she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Set against the fascinating backdrop of modern China and full of insight into the trickiest questions of motherhood, this wry and poignant memoir is a celebration of family and a candid exploration of mortality and belonging

Review: I won this book as a giveaway on Goodreads. This memoir tells Susan's story of moving to Beijing with her husband and two small sons. Culturally isolated and further removed by her inability to speak Mandarin, Conley struggles to adjust to a vastly different way of life. Just as she's settling in, Conley is diagnosed with breast cancer. This is Conley's story of China and cancer. 

I loved Conley's writing style. This book was very honest and open and the author captures the nuances of social interactions.  Conley isn't afraid to show her own humanity, including moments where she acts irrationally or less than perfectly. I felt like I could trust her description of herself and I liked her all the more for her honesty. I felt like I knew what it was like to be living in a high rise apartment in Beijing thanks to her description.  I liked that cancer was not the sole focus of the memoir, merely one of the themes. It seemed in keeping with Conley's strong spirit that she did not allow cancer to become her whole life. Also - I found it intriguing that Conley is good friends with author Lily King, especially since I've read one of King's novels. I am definitely interested in reading more of Conley's work in the future; I'd love to read another memoir based on her own life.

Stars: 4