Buddha Baby [Paperback]

Kim Wong Keltner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 2005

Want to learn a thing or two about a young Chinese-Americanwoman with a penchant for Hello Kitty toys, who could be found squeezing into jeans at Old Navy while being asked for detailed explanations of Yo-Yo Ma's success?

Then get ready for:

WHO
Lindsey Owyang, raised on Spaghetti-O'sand Aaron Spelling productions

WHAT
Her Secret Asian Man finally proposes!

WHERE
Springtime in San Francisco and it's raining stone cold foxes

HOW
Lindsey wants to make her peace with Chinatown & country,but will a crotchety Chinese grandmother stand in her way?

WHY
Because she never expected her hottie crush fromsixth grade to show up now ...

As Lindsey continues her quest for identity, family secrets, and true love, will she find double happiness, or will she be tempted by one last lion dance with a stranger? Ultimately, Lindsey realizes that Chinese girls really wanna have chow fun.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lindsay Owyang, the protagonist of Wong Keltner's second novel, is like the story itself: up-beat, bighearted, fun to spend time with and lacking focus. She works at two low-paying jobs and is "deluded enough to think her noncommittal career choices [qualify] as artistic." The drama starts when Lindsey's unofficial fiancé leaves town (a lovingly rendered San Francisco), and a childhood crush, Dustin Lee, arrives on the scene determined to seduce Lindsey. But Lindsey (a third-generation Chinese Californian) isn't attracted to Chinese men... or is she? The novel meanders through Lindsey's flirtation with infidelity and, more interestingly, her peeks into the history of San Francisco's turn-of-the-20th-century Chinatown, which make her suddenly aware of her heritage. Fans of Keltner's The Dim Sum of All Things will enjoy her tripping wordplay ("his slice of life was not made completely of wonder bread") and spot-on description (a piano teacher's fingers resemble "waterlogged segments of baby corn"), but these pleasures are diluted with cheap-shot puns (wok this way) and implausible scenarios. These story lines gain momentum in the last third of the book, and though the stakes are never quite believable, Keltner ends with straight-from-the-heart emotional insight, an unexpectedly strong finish to an uneven read. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Lindsey Owyang made her first appearance in The Dim Sum of All Things (2004). The sassy Chinese American returns, and now that she's found love, her new quest is discovering more about her family's background. She has taken a part-time job at the Catholic grammar school she once attended, which has brought back the feelings of not belonging that troubled her as a child. She also realizes that she knows very little about her grandparents, and some mysterious photos send her in search of family history. Further complicating matters, Dustin Lee--a childhood crush--has suddenly reappeared. Although she's in love with Michael, she's more than a little curious about what it would be like to date a Chinese guy. Keltner maintains her sense of humor even as she deals with the complex emotions surrounding cultural displacement and family relationships, and fans and newcomers alike will enjoy this funny, multifaceted novel. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (August 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060753226
• ISBN-13: 978-0060753221
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,822,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong second half, October 12, 2005

By 

Bearette24 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Buddha Baby (Paperback)

This is the story of Lindsey Owyang, the Chinese, San Franciscan heroine of Keltner's previous book, The Dim Sum of All Things. Lindsey has two jobs, one at a museum gift shop and the other at the Catholic school she attended as a child. She also has a loving boyfriend named Michael, who spends most of the book at a vegan retreat. He's doing an expose for the magazine he works for, called Vegan Warrior.

While Michael is away, Lindsey finds herself drawn to Dustin Lee, one of the few other Chinese students at her Catholic elementary school. Dustin left the school after sixth grade (one of the nuns had a crush on him and kept pulling him onto her lap), and she hadn't seen him since. Now he's back in town and looking pretty hot, with a motorcycle. Lindsey's suddenly wondering why she's never dated an Asian guy. Dustin, in turn, has only dated white women.

In another subplot, Lindsey starts to wonder about her cranky grandmother's past when she finds some photos in the basement at her school. After some visits with her grandfather and one of the current students at the school, she pieces together some answers.

The first half of the book is a little disjointed. Before Dustin appears on the scene, and Lindsey starts investigating her grandmother's past, there is really no suspense or dramatic question to drive the plot forward, and readers may find themselves putting the book down. But the second half of the book moves right along, as the reader will want to find out whether Lindsey gives in to the temptation of Dustin.

The book also has some interesting observations. Lindsey talks about "Angry Asian Men" who give her attitude because she dates white men (her boyfriend is a quarter Chinese, but no one can tell from his appearance). However, the book is a little heavy-handed in its treatment of Catholic school; one of the nuns tells Lindsey that the school is much improved, and "now only practices mild corporal punishment".

Overall, this is a fun, interesting book that picks up considerably in the second half. If you enjoyed The Dim Sum of All Things, you will probably enjoy this book as well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The right mix of familiar and foreign, September 30, 2005

By 

Cathy Liu (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buddha Baby (Paperback)

As a Chinese-American woman living in San Francisco, I could certainly relate to many of the experiences and relationships Lindsey Owyang has with other people and more precisely with her family. However, not being a native San Franciscan, I was constantly intrigued with the richness and depth the city life offers for a Chinese person (and even a non-Chinese person) who grew up here. San Francisco is intimately and lovingly described and it makes me grateful to live here. I also fondly appreciate Ms. Keltner's humor, especially when used to elaborate her insights about the complexities of being a hyphenated-American. i.e. being a minority in a predominantly white world, while still feeling like an outcast in Chinatown.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buddha Baby Delivers!, September 15, 2005

By 

Rick J. Wong "Jus Bein Me Yo" (San Mateo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buddha Baby (Paperback)

I have a confession to make. I am a forty year old Asian American man. I'm a guy's guy. I love sports. I love TV. Would never be caught dead reading anything with a cover that didn't have Sports Illustrated, Wall Street Journal or Tom Clancy emblazoned in bold letters. But I must admit, I LOVED reading this book!

"Buddha Baby", Kim Wong Keltner's follow-up novel to her groundbreaking "Dim Sum of All Things" expands upon a very special, very sacred, and still very uniquely San Francisco universe. Readers of her first book will assuredly want to catch up on the goings-on of Lindsay Owyang. Like Michael Corleone in the Godfather, Lindsay's story continues as she aspires to go legit, but the trappings of her own heritage and upbringing keep pulling her back in. This time its not just her ethnicity, her love of all things Brady, no, this time it's Catholic School.

Not sure what problem the previous reviewer (Julianne Be-yotch) had with Keltner's take on St. Marauders (freudian slip) Catholic School. I grew up in San Francisco. I went to Catholic school. And I have the scars to prove that everthing, well almost everything, Keltner expouses on is spot on. In fact, I have a brother that used to act the maggot!

Anyways, without going Mick Lasalle and giving away the whole book, let's just say that "Buddha Baby" delivers - it's less Joy Luck Club with more thought-out representations of men (Dustin Rocks!), it's funnier (I think I actually dated a Virginia Poon-Tang), and it's even got 88 Lines about 44 Chinese Kids!

So whatcha waiting for? Go out and buy this book! Even you non-chick lit fans will love it (that means you Shintaro, Nai-man, and Furi-mama).