The Duong sisters are cursed-everyone in Orange County’s Little Saigon knows this. I loved these moments because it shows that just because things were done or said during “a different time,” it doesn’t mean they were right or OK. Goo does a great job of highlighting some of those cultural differences whenever Sam stands up for herself and others, to the shock and confusion of nearly everyone around her. Not only does she learn what her mom was like when she was her age, but she also sees what Priscilla dealt with as an Asian American during a time when casual racism and other microaggressions were an everyday occurrence.įor those of us who were alive in 1995, it may not seem like long ago, but it was 28 years ago. “Throwback” has usurped my previous favorite of Goo’s novels, “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and I loved seeing Sam grow to understand her mom. This book is for anyone who has ever felt growing up that the adults in their lives don’t understand them (so most of us). It was amusing to see Sam try and figure out the technology (or lack thereof) of the time-the microfiche scene was especially funny.īut as funny as the fish-out-of-water moments are, Goo balances them out with the emotional connections between characters. Unsurprisingly, hilarity and life lessons ensue.Īs someone who was alive during the 1990s, I loved all the Easter eggs, cultural references, and fashion Goo included from that era. Now Sam needs to figure out why she’s there and how to get herself back to the present.

Instead, she’s thrown back in time to 1995, alongside a 17-year-old Priscilla. Sam is still figuring herself out, but she does know this is the last thing she wants to be.Īfter a huge argument, Sam wants nothing more than to get away from her mom. As a former high school cheerleader, Priscilla expects Sam to be like her-all about that school spirit, with all-American ambitions. Meet Sam: A second-generation Korean American Gen Z-er.

The fortunes of a jaded woman