
Days of Distraction
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Greta Jung
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By:
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Alexandra Chang
About this listen
"Startlingly original and deeply moving.... Chang here establishes herself as one of the most important of the new generation of American writers." (George Saunders)
A Most Anticipated Book of the Year from Buzzfeed, Electric Literature, and The Millions
A wry, tender portrait of a young woman - finally free to decide her own path, but unsure if she knows herself well enough to choose wisely - from a captivating new literary voice
The plan is to leave. As for how, when, to where, and even why - she doesn’t know yet. So begins a journey for the 24-year-old narrator of Days of Distraction. As a staff writer at a prestigious tech publication, she reports on the achievements of smug Silicon Valley billionaires and start-up bros while her own request for a raise gets bumped from manager to manager. And when her longtime boyfriend, J, decides to move to a quiet upstate New York town for grad school, she sees an excuse to cut and run.
Moving is supposed to be a grand gesture of her commitment to J and a way to reshape her sense of self. But in the process, she finds herself facing misgivings about her role in an interracial relationship. Captivated by the stories of her ancestors and other Asian Americans in history, she must confront a question at the core of her identity: What does it mean to exist in a society that does not notice or understand you?
Equal parts tender and humorous, and told in spare but powerful prose, Days of Distraction is an offbeat coming-of-adulthood tale, a touching family story, and a razor-sharp appraisal of our times.
©2020 Alexandra Chang (P)2020 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Maybe it's just me...
- By Moon on 11-21-23
Ambivalent
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The history is interesting.
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Loved this book
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What I enjoyed was her quiet contemplations. She includes historical tidbits, generally about race and interactional relationships. I listened to the Audible production, read by Greta Jung. I was not a fan of Jung’s performance. To me, she was wooden and far from dramatic. I wish I would have read the story because I’m a visual learner, and there is so much information and insights piled in this novel that I wanted to see the words written. I needed to rewind the narrative many times.
This is an engaging story of a young woman growing into adulthood, and not blindly. Yes, she’s confused; yes, she’s searching. I enjoyed her emotional and intellectual deliberations. I suggest reading this one.
Not a fan of the narrator
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