Wanting By Claire Jia

A novel of envy and longing that asks how far we’ll go for a friendship, a romance, and a dream

Ye Lian is thriving in Beijing. She has a well-paid job and a nice boyfriend, and she plans to marry and move into a luxury high-rise apartment. She’s wanting for nothing—until her childhood best friend, Luo Wenyu, comes whirling back into her life after a decade in California with seemingly everything. Lian’s own reliable choices are suddenly thrown into high relief.

As the two rekindle their friendship, Wenyu reveals a shocking secret about a past love, pushing Lian to question her own relationship. Then the dark side of Wenyu’s enviable life emerges and threatens everything Lian and Wenyu have built for themselves. They must choose between the stable known and the frightening unknown that may have devastating and unexpected consequences.