The Monstrous Misses Mai
Set in Los Angeles in 1959, The Monstrous Misses Mai revolves around the hopes and ambitions of four Asian roommates, particularly the main character, Cordelia Mai Yin. The girls share the same middle name, Mai, and refer to themselves as the Misses Mai. Each is trying to get ahead without the support of family. In Cordelia’s case, she’s been disowned by her hardworking Vietnamese immigrant parents after an argument escalated out of control. At her parents’ alteration shop she learned to sew and went on to design her own clothes because the standard American sizes didn’t match her body. Her secret dream is to be a fashion designer. No one, however, wants to give an Asian-looking face a job.
A handsome young man, who triggers the readers’ suspicions, offers help with a form of magic the girls have all heard of and been warned off. He tells them to wish for what they want and with a sacrifice, it will be theirs. Things go both uphill and downhill from there.
This historical fantasy reads as an allegory about the emptiness of wealth and beauty. To find happiness, Cordelia must reconcile with her family and find contentment with her own appearance and social status. Success is valuable, but only within limits. The rich become rich at the expense of others.
Certain setting descriptions and types of events intentionally repeat, which slows pacing. Also, even with magic in play, character motivations and choices should be emotionally persuasive, and Hoang fudges a little on this at a climactic moment. Nonetheless, Hoang’s mixture of suggestive magic and evocatively depicted history create an enjoyable tale of youthful striving within the American Dream.
