Counterfeit

A Novel

By: Kirstin Chen

Narrated by: Catherine Ho

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

“A con artist story, a pop-feminist caper, a fashionable romp . . . Counterfeit is an entertaining, luxurious read—but beneath its glitz and flash, it is also a shrewd deconstruction of the American dream and the myth of the model minority. . . . Chen is up to something innovative and subversive here." — Camille Perri, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Recommended by New York Times Book Review • Washington Post • People • Entertainment Weekly • USA Today • Time • Cosmopolitan • Today show • Harper’s Bazaar • Vogue • Good Housekeeping • Parade • New York Post • Town & Country • GMA.com • Buzzfeed • Goodreads • Oprah Daily • Popsugar • Bustle • theSkimm • The Millions • and more!

For fans of Hustlers and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, the story of two Asian American women who band together to grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a global enterprise—an incisive and glittering blend of fashion, crime, and friendship from the author of Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners.

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.

Swift, surprising, and sharply comic, Counterfeit is a stylish and feminist caper with a strong point of view and an axe to grind. Peering behind the curtain of the upscale designer storefronts and the Chinese factories where luxury goods are produced, Kirstin Chen interrogates the myth of the model minority through two unforgettable women determined to demand more from life.

"If you appreciate a good caper, you’ll want to pick up Kirstin Chen’s novel . . . Fast-paced and fun, with smart commentary on the cultural differences between Asia and America." — TIME

“Propulsive and captivating . . . A provocative story of fashion, friendship, and fakes (in more ways than one).” — VOGUE

©2022 Kirstin Chen (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Fun!

enjoyable friendship story with an edge. Liked the characters, would only give more thought to the way motherhood is handled.

Funny Novel of China & Knock-Off Designer Bags !

Rings True : Chinese Immigrant Story with humor & insight . Deep dive into problems of IP protection in China or any developing country !

Materialistic and Depressing

I found the characters difficult to enjoy. They are selfish and materialistic. A depressing read.

great listen for a car ride

recommended good story that is well read. enjoyed on a quick weekend road trip.

Such a fun and exciting book!

Loved the blot and how realistic it was!!
Great look into counterfeit lux goods! And all the counterfeit items on the market today!

Very interesting

I really liked the way this was written from the 2 perspectives. It’s seldom I root for the bad guys- girls but I really liked the characters.

Fascinating window into the world of counterfeit goods.

I enjoyed this book, as it made me think about a topic I had never fully contemplated before. However, I didn’t care for the ending…I want a price to be extracted for bad behavior.

Unexpectedly good

I started listening to this book because as someone who was bored in China and living in Los Angeles I am not unfamiliar with people who buy counterfeit luxury goods. But the twists in the story are really smart and surprised me. The narrative is also very good.

Fantastic Story

This was a great story. The narration was easy to listen to. I enjoyed the plot line, and the many twists and turns of the story.

Review

Counterfeit 👜
By Kirstin Chen💄

Review🕶️

This book started off pretty good! The story line was good and it looked promising. About half way through I realized it would literally just be one conversation the entire book( with the exception of a few chapters). This really ruined it for me. I think if the book was completely spilt with two pov’s it would have been amazing. I thought it had a lot of stereotyping in it too…which isn’t my thing. Did I hate it? No, it’s just the story lacked the extra features and details to make it great.

Counterfeit designer handbags 👛
Race in America🇺🇸
Crime 🚔
Mystery❔
Secrets🤫
Lies💋

⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 stars