A lovely, original & beautifully written book. The characters are well formed & written about with empathy enabling the reader to care about them. The mix of Asian & American culture works well. I thoroughly enjoyed & highly recommend reading The Other Heart.

What a rollercoaster ride of emotions!! Absolutely devoured this book! The character stories that ran though it were emotional, fascinating, suspenseful and warming. The author keeps you guessing throughout about the identity of the missing child years later where you find yourself sure you’ve worked it out one minute and then flipping to thinking it’s someone else and back again constantly, which is exactly what a good book should do! Good characters and great drama throughout.

My Other Heart makes for an easy read, with its fluid prose and engaging if often two-dimensional characters. At times it feels as if it's on the cusp of YA - and perhaps that would have been better suited. As it is, the underwhelming mystery and predictable ending just feels a little too basic for an adult audience.

My other heart follows three women whose lives are connected by a mystery: Mimi, a Vietnamese mother whose baby goes missing at a U.S. airport in 1998; Kit, a half-Japanese teenager adopted by wealthy white parents; and Sabrina, her best friend, who lives with her single Chinese mother.
The book explores a range of themes: adoption, and what it means to truly belong, cultural heritage, race, class, and family.
A thoughtful, emotional read with a twist you won’t forget - a strong debut!

A thoughtfully written book about life in America and cultural identity. The characters were well observed and as a reader, it was easy to become invested in their stories. The swapping between different narratives and timelines was well managed. The climax of the book felt like it appeared quite suddenly but maybe threw you off the scent slightly!

What an utterly powerful and spectacular read. A beautiful story, covering a complex range of subjects. Beautifully written. Thought-provoking and simply fabulous.

This was brilliant. Captivating all the way through. What an ending!!

Great author and I look forward to reading more from Emma.

The bulk of this book is the story of Kit, a half Asian girl who has been adopted by a wealthy white couple in America. Sadly the stories of the other characters are not given the same time as Kit, even Sabrina, who is the other Asian girl in the story. The two girls are friends but there is definite tension between the two, caused, it seems, by their different financial situations and academic abilities. The need that Kit seems to have to out do and belittle her friend is painful to read. I don't remember much about Sabrina's feelings, apart from her relationship with Dave, as so much time is given over to Kit.

The book is interesting as an observation of teenage female friendships. The story of wanting to belong and knowing where you come from is less successfully explored - Kit is just so shallow, maybe a way of showing her immaturity. She doesn't want to fit in culturally or to feel complete, she wants to fit in to impress Amy and Ryo.

I would have liked to hear more of Mimi's story and her long search. I would also have liked to understand Sabrina's life more than the cliche of Chinese mother demanding academic excellence whilst working menial jobs, and unrequited teenage love.

I enjoyed the book but found it it a little slow in places.

Two Asian-American girls learn about their roots. Kit is adopted, happy with her adoptive parents but wants to find out about her roots. Her friend Sabrina, who is not from a wealthy family like Kit, had planned to travel too, but has to work in the summer vacation, though her internship proves fruitful. What Kit doesn’t know is how she came to live in Philadelphia, though the reader does. The relationship between the girls makes the book shine. Moving and emotional.

Sadly not for me. I almost didn't finish it - it was a strange mix of what seemed like a YA novel coupled with a mystery that wasn't really a mystery, with a lot of teenage girl angst, annoying characters and a narrative that, for me. did not flow. The exploration of 'other', racism in the US and how different cultures relate to each other was interesting but seemed to me a bit clunkily handled.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.

This story of two teenage girls the summer before they begin college and the diverging paths their circumstances take them on was fascinating. Their relationship was a really interesting dimension of the story even though for most of it they are on different continents. The themes of adoption and racism as experienced in the microcosm of an affluent, small knit community were beautifully explored. In fact the author’s portrayal of all the women was wonderfully written - Mimi whose baby disappears in the airport, Sally’s experiences as an adoptive mother and Lee Lee as a hard working undocumented woman. I really loved it.

Do you remember that first summer of freedom after finishing school and starting the rest of your life as a grown-up?

Well, that’s where this story is set as two best friends from a high school in Philadelphia – Kit and Sabrina – both of East Asian heritage realise that although their ethnic heritage unites them, there is so much more that divides them. Like money, class, brains and looks.

And from the very first page, there is the mystery of what happened to Mimi, after she was separated from her baby daughter in Philadelphia airport, some seventeen years ago.

As the book takes us to Philadelphia, to Ho Chi Minh, to Tokyo and back again, this is a moving, evocative and surprising tale of the ever-shifting canvas of people, places and thing that make us who we are.

I found this a hard book to read - I initially found it hard to become absorbed but as the story unfolded I was drawn in and felt quite bereft when I finished it. It left me with lots to think about - about a sense of belonging, family and finding your place in the world.

Mimi - on her way back to Vietnam when she lost her daughter - 17 years later she returns to America to try to find her.

Kit - half American and half Japanese, adopted by white well-to-do parents - travels to Japanese to find out about her culture and heritage.

Sabrina - the daughter of a Chinese immigrant single mother - forced to give up her trip to China, takes up an internship where she is forced to ask questions and seek answers to issues she has largely ignored.

Each is on a journey and their meeting will transform all their lives.

Absolutely loved this and it kept me guessing! Grew quite fond of some of the characters during the storyline but others didn’t feel as well defined.

Would definitely recommend

My Other Heart by Emma Nanami Strenner is a powerful debut that explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and the search for connection across generations. The story begins with the disappearance of Mimi Truang’s toddler daughter at the Philadelphia airport in 2000, setting the stage for a journey of self-discovery and the long wait for answers. Seventeen years later, we follow two best friends, Kit and Sabrina, as they approach the end of high school in a wealthy, predominantly white town. Both women are navigating the intersections of race, class, and their own evolving sense of who they are.

Kit, a half-Japanese, half-American teenager, takes a trip to Tokyo, determined to reconnect with her Japanese roots. In the process, she experiences a love that forces her to rethink her concept of belonging. Sabrina, whose Chinese immigrant mother is strict and secretive, struggles with her own identity and the idea of home. Despite financial challenges, Sabrina’s professional relationship with her ambitious boss becomes a catalyst for self-exploration, leading her to confront questions about her heritage that she has long avoided.

As the summer draws to a close, the lives of Mimi, Kit, and Sabrina intersect in Philadelphia, where they come face to face with the truth about their identities and blood ties. The novel beautifully portrays the emotional and cultural journey of each character, shedding light on their search for answers and their desire to build a better life, often in the face of adversity. The exploration of race, immigration, and the experience of being an outsider is poignant and thought-provoking. Strenner deftly portrays the harsh realities of discrimination while also highlighting the resilience and strength of those who are striving to make a new life in an unfamiliar world.

The characters, particularly Mimi, Kit, and Sabrina, are deeply endearing. I was moved by their courage and determination to uncover their pasts and shape their futures. Sabrina’s character, in particular, evolved significantly throughout the book. Initially, I found her somewhat self-effacing, but as the story progressed, it became clear that her journey was far more complex and meaningful than I first realised. The ending, which I won’t spoil, took me completely by surprise and added an incredible layer of depth to the story.

Strenner also paints a vivid picture of the cultural richness of Japan and Vietnam, both of which are integral to the characters' journeys. The novel made me eager to explore these countries and learn more about their cultures, which are portrayed with great sensitivity and richness.

My Other Heart is a stunning coming-of-age story that captures the emotional turbulence of growing up, the longing for belonging, and the challenge of reconciling one’s past with the future. It’s a beautifully constructed narrative that touches on universal themes of identity, family, and the immigrant experience, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A beautiful book about discovering true identity. A child is lost. A mother is distraught. Two teenage girls grow up together, learning about love and friendship. A mystery surrounds their story. The book is written in a thoughtful and moving narrative. The reader is drawn into the lives of different families and cultures. The ending throws up an unexpected surprise which brings the tale full circle to the beginning. I found this easy to read, absorbing, insightful, honest and interesting.

I enjoyed this novel which I read before publication on NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review.

The story tells of a mother who his year old baby goes missing an airport in the mid 90s never to be found. In the novel we need to Asian 18-year-olds one of whom is adopted to white parents and the other living with her Chinese mother both these young ladies live in Philadelphia in USA if you follow their lives as they reach maturity at the same time wanted to know more about their own backgrounds .
The novel touches on racism and being adopted both of which are quite deep subjects the novelist manages to do this with subtlety and poise
The author has a clear flowing prose style and the novel was an enjoyable relaxing read
The character development in the novel is covered beautifully and all the characters seem like real people. Their reactions to the individual stresses in their lives again are perfectly described.
The novel is set between Philadelphia and Tokyo where one of the young girls visits during her summer holiday holidays prior to starting university.
I enjoy a good twist in a novel and I thought I could see where the twist is coming when I was 80% of the way through the novel it was definitely worth waiting for.
This is a primarily character driven novel and I’d recommend it for those who enjoy interesting characters. If you like Yellow face by R F Yuang then I think you would enjoy this too
Read an early copy on NetGalley UK the book is published in the UK on the 17th of July 2025 by random house UK Cornerstone
Review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.

Every mother’s nightmare! Captivating book which channels your deepest fears.

The girls stories are well drawn, the ending was easy enough to guess but to me this wasn’t a mystery story so that was ok.

Nicely written, easy to read without being boring.

Mimi takes her eye off her 1 year old daughter in Philadelphia Airport in 1998 and never sees her again. Nobody will help her find her and she is deported back to Vietnam devastated.
Fast forward to 2015, Kit and Sabrina, both Asian girls living in a predominantly white middle class area, are friends even though they are both of a different class. Kit lives with her adoptive white parents in a big house and wants for nothing, whereas Sabrina lives with her single Chinese mother in a rundown area and has to work for everything she has.
The story follows the lives of these three women: Mimi, never giving up looking for her daughter Ngan; Kit travelling to Tokyo for the summer and Sabrina who was desperate to travel but forced to stay home.
I thought this was more of a Bildungsroman where the girls have left school and are at the in-between stage of starting college. It gives an insight into their lives and thoughts and also gives an understanding of what it is like to be different.
I did feel sorry for Mimi as she takes on the search for her child but I think I’d guessed the outcome quite early on.
An enjoyable read and an excellent debut novel 4⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

An interesting premise showing just how easy it to be stereotyped, not heard and the end result is the loss of a child. Mimi never gave up hoping to track her daughter down.
In Philadelphia are two families with daughters who are friends despite their different financial circumstances.
There is a lot of time jumping which is difficult to track.
The grand denouement wasn’t a surprise and the ending tapered out after this.