Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

Welcome to the high stakes, sleepless nights, chemical enhanced world of these children of immigrant parents of Asia. The number one goal is to give your child every opportunity and infuse them with whatever it takes to be the best in school so they can get into the next level of best schools so they can be the best job and make their family proud. Neil is pushing himself as hard as he can trying to live up to his parents expectations but he is not in the 99% which makes him open to a miracle. The miracle is found in his friend's mom and her interesting sideline of blending stolen gold into a magic elixir that promises to sharpen mental focus. Years go by and Neil is now a history grad student but he gets pulled back into the old business to help Anita's mom. This clever debut is a sarcastic look at the American Dream and the ambition and drive of these new Americans to have their children succeed. Funny in a bittersweet way, this book is solid gold for readers of the immigrant experience with a bit of magic added for good measure. ​ 4 stars