Wanting A Novel
Wanting A Novel by Claire Jia, published by Tin House Books, LLC in 2025, is a debut narrative that delves into themes of envy, longing, and regret across the lives of three individuals in two countries. The story centers on Ye Lian, who appears to have it all in Beijing, until her childhood friend Luo Wenyu returns from California, seemingly embodying a perfect life. As their friendship rekindles, Lian is confronted with her own choices and the complexities of her relationship, while Wenyu’s past begins to unravel, impacting both their lives.
Readers will find a rich exploration of friendship and the intricacies of personal aspirations woven throughout the narrative. The novel captures moments of nostalgia and contemporary life, from karaoke afternoons to the pressures of social media, as it examines the characters’ desires and the consequences of their decisions. With 384 pages, this edition presents a thoughtful reflection on the balance between stability and the allure of the unknown, inviting readers to consider the lengths one might go for love and connection.
Official synopsis Publisher
A searing debut novel of envy, longing, and regret across three lives and two countries that asks how far we’ll go for a friendship, a romance, a dream.
Ye Lian is thriving in Beijing. She has a well-paid job, a nice boyfriend, and plans to marry and move into a luxury high-rise apartment. She’s wanting for nothing-until her childhood best friend, Luo Wenyu, comes whirling back into her life after a decade in California with seemingly everything-a successful career as an influencer, a millionaire American fiancé, and a bespoke mansion in the Beijing suburbs-throwing Lian’s own reliable choices into high relief.
As the two women rekindle their friendship, Wenyu reveals a shocking secret about a past love that pushes Lian to question her own relationship. A few neighborhoods away, aging architect Song Chen is forced to confront his own past and the dissolution of his marriage as he’s tasked with building Wenyu’s dream home. And when the dark side of Wenyu’s enviable life emerges and threatens everything Lian and Wenyu have built for themselves, they must make a choice between the stable known and the frightening unknown that may have devastating and unexpected consequences.
In girlhood memories and karaoke afternoons in Xidan Square, in aspirational YouTube channels and billboard ads, in private hotel rendezvous and secret WeChat messages, Claire Jia’s debut novel is a love letter to friendship; a powder keg of impossible, interwoven desires; a siren song that explores why, even as it destroys us, we always want more.
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