(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
Twenty-seven-year-old Audrey Zhou is leading a life most of us would be envious of. Living in New York City as a sales rep for a newspaper, she has many friends and is engaged to a witty and handsome man from a wealthy family.
In contrast, Audrey is from Hickory Grove, Illinois, a small Midwestern town, where she hasn’t been back to for eight years. As the daughter of working-class Chinese immigrants, she felt like an outsider. Add to that, she always had a contentious relationship with her mother and didn’t understand her father.
When her fiancé Ben wants to meet her parents, which means spending Christmas in Hickory Grove, Audrey panics. She is desperately trying to leave her past behind, especially Hickory Grove which she feels was toxic and suffocating.
But what ensues is what no one, especially Audrey herself expects. She not only sees her parents after all this time, but also runs into old friends in which she has unresolved issues with. The visit brings out tensions and irrational and self-destructive behavior. But there’s more to it.
Though I couldn’t understand all of Audrey’s choices, I did relate to wanting to leave one’s past behind and the people and memories that come with it.
Central Places takes a common, relatable situation and makes it one that most will enjoy reading and find difficult to put down.
