HELEN WAN
Reviews
Here’s what reviewers are saying about THE PARTNER TRACK:
“An engaging and suspenseful debut… The pleasures of this novel lie in character and plot. She dissects the tokens of status in this world – who sits with whom in the dining room, whose offices are on the “good side of the building” – in a manner that’s reminiscent of Tom Wolfe.” –The Wall Street Journal
“Valuable and nuanced insights into life at a large New York City firm. THE PARTNER TRACK will resonate with anyone who has ever confronted the challenge of trying to calibrate the right mixture of worthy pursuits, happiness, accomplishment and retained integrity into a workable and personalized formula for success.” –New York Law Journal
“Making her fiction debut, lawyer Wan has written a sensitive story of discrimination faced in “old boy” law firms in particular but also in the world in general. The book, which could have been ponderous or didactic, instead is intriguing and entertaining.” –Library Journal
“Debut novelist Wan shows that she has writing chops in addition to legal acumen. Wan succeeds in exploring and fictionalizing the timely topics of sexism and racism in workplace politics in a fluent, thought-provoking, and compelling tale.” –Booklist
“In the heart of Manhattan, young attorney Ingrid Yung is mere weeks away from becoming a partner at the powerhouse law firm of Parsons Valentine & Hunt LLP. But when Ingrid, one of the firm’s few women of color, witnesses a racist, misogynistic performance at the company’s annual summer outing, she begins to question the office’s power structure and the motives behind her rising status within it. A master storyteller, Wan paints a realistic and immersing portrait of the elite world of corporate law. She had me rooting for Ingrid’s success and her happiness from the first chapter.” –Real Simple
“From lawyer-turned-author Helen Wan comes an illuminating look at the social and racial politics at a prestigious New York law firm.” –Audrey Magazine
“THE PARTNER TRACK romances us with power, all the while revealing the betrayal, bigotry and illusion congealed inside of it.” –Amherst Magazine
Praise from Blogs
“Its personal treatment of important national corporate issues makes me think that THE PARTNER TRACK will, in a few years, be required law school reading.” –Chick Lit Central
“Ingrid is way ahead of the game and after a reversal that would have had most taking a nasty tumble, she triumphs in a conclusion that is unexpected and exciting. Not ashamed to say the last chapter had me cheering – one to the good gals. The author, Helen Wan, with a background in corporate law, has created realistic characters and an involving, suspenseful story set around the racial and sexual politics that exist in corporations. Whether you’ve a mind to climb a corporate ladder or not, The Partner Track is a great read – well done Helen and Ingrid.” –BookPleasures.com
“I have to say we LOVED the book, really feel it’s one everybody should read, and Helen is dynamite.” –Book Girl TV
“The story is gripping and I read this in one sitting: slick and engaging, do add to your reading list.” –Long and Short Reviews
“There are elements of several genres represented with this novel – a little romance, a little mystery, a good bit of humor and a lot of action. I highly recommend this debut book to anyone who is looking for a good, satisfying read.” –Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
“THE PARTNER TRACK is a realistic eye-opener, reminding us that racism and sexism still exists not only in the corporate world but in society overall. This was a wonderful debut from a talented author who is most certainly going far.” –Embrace You Magazine
“This smartly written debut novel takes on big topics like the glass ceiling and racism but packaged in a story line that makes these bigger themes very accessible…I definitely recommend this debut novel!” –Books in the City
“This book was fun and fast paced and all about girl power […] The plot keeps you guessing and the ending is reminiscent of the movie Working Girl. I was so excited reading the climax scenes that I was pumping my fist in the air, chanting “You Go Girl!”” –Chick Lit Plus
“Would I recommend The Partner Track? Yes, I would. It’s rooted in a desire for equality – gender, race and sexuality – and it’s got a great protagonist.” –The Writes of Women
“WE LOVED it–fun and engaging. Highly recommend!” –Chick Lit is Not Dead
“It captured me from start to finish. It is by far one of the best reads I’ve had this year.” –Twinja Book Reviews
“The book made me want to read it again as soon as I finished it – it was THAT good. I enjoyed the way the characters were portrayed and developed and the story came to a conclusion that I loved and definitely didn’t expect” –Novel Escapes
“The book was a fast, enjoyable read with plenty of twists […] The ending was a real kicker and a truly perfect way for it all to finish for Ingrid.” –Broken Teepee
“The Partner Track is a realistic eye-opener, reminding us that racism and sexism still exist not only in the corporate world but in society overall. This was a wonderful debut from a talented author who is most certainly going far.” –Itching For Books
“I think The Partner Track was a wonderful read and a wonderful debut by Helen Wan. Ingrid was a wonderful main character and I would absolutely love to see more of her, she was such a refreshing character.” –Turning The Pages
“It was really Ingrid and the people around her who pushed the book forward rather than the case. It did serve, though, to show how meticulous she was in her due diligence so that the ending of the story could be plausible on every level. Over all, this was an interesting look at ambition, duty, the latent racism no one wants to address or acknowledge, and the cost of achieving a dream.” –Book N Around
“This was an intriguing adult contemporary novel that spoke of several important topics amid the quick story line. Ingrid is a great main character. She’s smart, dedicated, and motivated to reach her dream goal of becoming a partner in her firm […] Although the story comes off as just another contemporary fiction, it really deals with difficult topics in our society that most people don’t want to go into – race, class, gender, and the prejudices that go along with them all.” –A Dream Within A Dream
Blurbs
“Smart, incisive, and fast-paced, THE PARTNER TRACK is a sparklingly readable look at the inner workings of a Wall Street law firm — from the vantage point of a brainy, beautiful and self-doubting Asian-American associate. Wan has the remarkable ability to make you feel as if ‘you are there’ — inside the law firm, inside protagonist Ingrid Yung’s head. I did not want to put this book down.”
–Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
“A wholly engrossing behind-the-scenes look at real life behind the pomp, power and prestige of a high-powered law firm that wants to still play by a 1950s rule book.”
–Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus, New York Times bestselling co-authors of Citizen Girl and The Nanny Diaries
“Behind Helen Wan’s wit and sparkling prose is a poignant and at times, painfully honest tale of loyalty, ambition and sacrifice. Funny, fragile, sometimes bold, often unsure, Ingrid Yung is one of those unforgettable heroines that you actually miss, like a dear friend, when the story’s over.”
-Ann Leary, New York Times bestselling author of The Good House
“Hell hath no fury like Helen Wan’s savvy heroine in this terrific debut. We all know women like Ingrid Yung: the well-educated over-achiever who does everything right to ensure a long, productive journey on a lucrative career path. But what happens when someone blows up the path? The Partner Track is a delicious, satisfying read for anyone who has fantasized about getting the better of the boss, the ex-lover, the corporate powers that be–or all three. Ingrid Yung has done it for all of us.”
-Kristin van Ogtrop, Managing Editor of Real Simple Magazine and Author of Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom
“What a terrific debut novel. Ingrid Yung is a fresh, funny, and fearless heroine. Her razor-sharp wit and keen observations of gender, race and class politics in corporate America make THE PARTNER TRACK an entertaining, engrossing and ultimately deeply compelling read.”
-Cristina Alger, author of The Darlings
“THE PARTNER TRACK is a marvelous story about female ambition and power, about betrayal, identity, and the conflict between self-interest and desire. In short: all the big, human stuff. Read it.”
-Alison Clement, author of Twenty Questions
OTHER ACCOLADES
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN LAWYERS BOOK CLUB SELECTION
Selected as REAL SIMPLE Magazine’s DECEMBER 2013 BOOK CLUB Book
Selected as AMHERST COLLEGE’s NOVEMBER 2013 BOOK CLUB Book