Weike Wang's Rental House brought out alllll the feelings in me! I simultaneously enjoyed it, and despised it, and as a result, rated it as a solid 3.5 star book. This book's focus is on a married couple, Keru and Nate, and their respective parents and family dynamics, told through the lens of two vacations that take place five years apart. We learn about the couple's meeting in college, their views on race/ethnicity (particularly Keru's, as a Chinese immigrant, but also Nate's as he grew up in small town Appalachia), their perspectives on finances, politics, race, education, goal setting, and more. One constant dynamic for this couple is the decision to have (or not have) children, and the effects thereof on their lives.
To elaborate on my mixed feelings about this book - let's start with the good. I think the idea of exploring a married couple's differing worldviews is often done in fiction... but somehow, it typically comes across as judgmental. Not so here. Differing perspectives are treated neutrally here, and neither Keru nor Nate is the hero or the villian. Their parents aren't either (for the most part - I could argue there is one exception but I don't want to spoil the plot point of vacation number two). I really appreciated how the author was able to succinctly and critically present both character's perspectives without discrediting the other. Well done. I also really appreciated how emotion was used in this book... sparingly, but with remarkable accuracy - I truly felt the feelings of these characters! Especially when Keru talked about her experience as an only child, her desire for friends/siblings, etc. Another huge plus for me was that the author's writing style was so smart and straightforward. This book was very dynamic and readable even though it deals with serious matters in a marriage.
I do have to note a couple of negatives. For one, I could believe the romance between Keru and Nate at times. But other times, I doubted it. Maybe that is just part of the point. The second negative was that the first half of this book was much better than the second. The second vacation was painful at times and seemed to drag a bit. Again, maybe part of the point? I didn't enjoy the side plot of the vacation neighbors as much as in-law relationships.
Regardless, I truly enjoyed this book. It was a quick, engaging read and if my book club chooses it in the future, I'd certainly enjoy reading it again!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
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Popular Highlights in this book
“Because suffering is required,” replied Keru’s mother. “To suffer is to strive and to set a bar so high that one never becomes complacent. To become complacent is to become lazy and to lose one’s spirit to fight, and to lose one’s spirit to fight is to die. So, to suffer is to live.”Highlighted by 197 Kindle readers- With that, Keru realized what she disliked about her mother-in-law. The woman demanded to be understood by everyone around her, yet was not willing, ready, or able to extend the generosity to others.Highlighted by 182 Kindle readers
- Expats left wealthy nations to humble themselves at the altar of the world, immigrants escaped poorer nations to be the workforce of the rich.Highlighted by 177 Kindle readers
- Money was her shield, how she measured her worth, and, unwilling to stop making it, Keru weighed how much resentment she could stand.Highlighted by 117 Kindle readers
- Home is not a given and, for many, a hard, sometimes impossible place to find.Highlighted by 102 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
About the author
Another fantastic book from Weike Wang!
This book is a DELICIOUS little character study, let me tell you. 👏🏼 This is a birds-eye-view of a couple that has A TON of differences which can be hard to read at times (espeeeecially if you’re conflict avoidant in relationships 🙋🏼♀️). But I just kept thinking amidst the cringe, this is such a testament to Wang’s writing that she’s over here making me squirm a little. Keru and Nate met in college and got married. Keru is from demanding Chinese immigrant parents whereas Nate is from judgey country bumpkins. Let the family conflicts begin! We see their relationship through the lens of two family vacations, years apart. From unexpected family members, to weird neighbors, to rock fights, to mundane things like making sure the dog doesn’t wreck the rental, we see all the big and little things that wear on a marriage. This book was such an interesting way of taking a look at a family! It felt almost voyeuristic to have such an insight into both Keru and Nate individually and then see those things play out into how they interact with each other and their families. And THEN we also see how they have changed between the two vacations. If you love relationship/family lit fic, pick this one up QUICK.
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