If Red Roulette and Crazy Rich Asians had a baby --- a feminist caper that draws back the curtain on Chinese factories, luxury goods and the myth of the model minority. Counterfeit was a fast-paced tale with an axe to grind; I loved every page. Discussion guide below.
Money can't buy happiness... but it can buy a decent fake.
Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home--she's built the perfect life. But beneath this façade, Ava's world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn't been used in years, and her toddler's tantrums are pushing her to the breaking point.
Enter Winnie Fang, Ava's enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, twenty years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. But the shy, awkward girl Ava once knew has been replaced with a confident woman of the world, dripping in luxury goods, including a coveted Birkin in classic orange. The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business--someone who'd never be suspected of wrongdoing, someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left to face the consequences.
Discussion Guide
Before reading this book, how much did you know about the luxurious world of designer handbags? What did you know about Chinese factories and the companies that made them?
Whose story is genuine? Which one is fake? Are either 100% one or the other?
Do you think Winnie & Ava are good friends to each other?
Do consumers have a responsibility to purchase ethically sourced goods? Do consumers care?
Did you see the twist in the book coming?