Indies Introduce

Fiction

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  The Original Daughter, Jemimah Wei
  Doubleday, 9780385551014, May 6, 2025 (Fiction)
  

  “Family failures, both real and perceived, have a lasting impact on our lives. Full of pain and betrayal, anger and resignation, and ultimately love, The Original Daughter is a wonderful debut about reconciling all of these before it’s too late. I absolutely loved it!”

  —Randy Schiller, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO
  
  

  “The Original Daughter is a stunning debut exploring the complexities of family relationships and identity. After her grandfather's shameful legacy emerges, only child Genevieve suddenly finds herself with a new sister. The tension between the two sisters drives the novel as jealousy begins to taint their relationship. Each character is beautifully fleshed out and the writing is stunning.”

  —Sophie Chen, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA
  

   

  “Jemimah Wei crafts a beautiful story in The Original Daughter, exploring a woman's relentless determination to succeed despite her efforts not yielding the anticipated results. It’s a soul-searching narrative about a woman who does everything right to achieve greatness but finds herself with little to show for it. Wei contrasts her protagonist’s journey with that of her sister, whose hard work pays off in the ways the narrator wishes her own did. The story is rich with complex family dynamics, a complicated mother-daughter relationship, an estranged father, and a one-sided sibling rivalry. Wei’s portrayal of these ideas adds depth and weight to this compelling tale.”

  —Dave Suiter, {pages} a bookstore, Manhattan Beach, CA

   

  “Readers who like to really dig into a character’s psyche — warts and all — will find much to enjoy in The Original Daughter, with its claustrophobic focus on one woman’s rivalry with her global superstar sister.”

  —Austin Carter, Pocket Books Shop, Lancaster, PA