"The Wangs v the World" Wacky Asian/American Family Road Trip

"The Wangs v the World" is about an Asian/American family with patriarch, Charles Wang.  Wang left his native Taiwan for CA where he prospered as a cosmetics entrepreneur & raised his 3 children: Saian, an artist in upstate NY, Andrew an AZ college student & aspiring comic and Grace, at boarding school, a self-obsessed fashion blogger.  Self-obssessed with overblown egos is a shared family trait.  It is infuriating in Charles but less so with his offspring.  Their wealthy, privileged & vain lives have not deterred a fondness for one another that is endearing.  Author & journalist, Jade Chang (b America of Asian heritage) makes her debut with this off-beat & outlandish parody of the American dream as seen by Charles, the Asian immigrant with indefatigable drive.  His relentless work ethic & overblown ego lead to immense wealth & then to financial ruin.  Chang also lampoons contemporary life in the U.S. through the eyes of all 3 siblings and their step-mom, Barbra.  Barbra had her eye set on Charles as a young man in Taiwan.  When she learned of his beautiful wife's untimely demise, she hustled herself to the states & became his bride.  Greed is an overriding theme in this entertaining & unconventional novel.  This funny & perceptive novel lambasts human traits as we hitch a ride with this zany brood on a desperate, cross country road trip. Charles & Barbra take an old mercedes (back from their housekeeper) after everything they previously possessed; businesses, property & bank accounts have been repossessed by the bank.  He's a man that can't be derailed from his plan.  The couple get Andrew & Grace from their schools (where tuition is overdue) and set their route from CA to NY where Saina may prove to be their sane, saving grace.  Andrew sums it up "my family's bankrupt and I'm in the middle of a cross-country road trip in my dead mom's car because my dad might be delusional."  Dad is quite mad and he's filled with rage & envy for all that was once his.  Saina gained early fame in the contemporary art world in NYC which just as quickly turned against her.  She retreats to an old farmhouse where her family is about to descend upon her.  Chang exposes the art world for its alchemy "every successful artist is the product of mythmaking."  The pratfalls of pride are priceless.  So too is  the hypocritical idealism of Communist China.  Charles travels to China to reclaim his families' rightful land & legacy.  Charles' views are often astute.  He believes there are 2 types of people, passive or  those who seize opportunities.  This is an impressive first novel that is unique with tongue in cheek.  But the sentimental ending is rather meek. "In the end all we had were the people whom we were beholden."