Like Wind Against Rock: A Novel
- Downloads：5824
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-07 12:31:23
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Nancy Kim
- ISBN：1713560879
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A novel of explosive family secrets， regret， and all the little decisions that shape our lives and make us who we are。
At the age of thirty-nine， Alice Chang suddenly finds herself living in the last place she expected: her mother’s house。 But in the face of divorce， eviction， and the recent death of her father， she doesn’t have a choice。
Watching as her mother thrives in a new job and meets younger men at the local gym， Alice struggles， reflecting on her parents’ marriage， her relationship with each of them， as she adjusts to being single again for the first time in twenty years。 Then she finds her father’s old journal…and uncovers a shocking family secret that forces her to question everything she thought she knew about love， regret， family， and her own path forward。
As Alice comes to terms with the man her father really was， she must finally decide who she wants to be and what it will take to get there。
At the age of thirty-nine， Alice Chang suddenly finds herself living in the last place she expected: her mother’s house。 But in the face of divorce， eviction， and the recent death of her father， she doesn’t have a choice。
Watching as her mother thrives in a new job and meets younger men at the local gym， Alice struggles， reflecting on her parents’ marriage， her relationship with each of them， as she adjusts to being single again for the first time in twenty years。 Then she finds her father’s old journal…and uncovers a shocking family secret that forces her to question everything she thought she knew about love， regret， family， and her own path forward。
As Alice comes to terms with the man her father really was， she must finally decide who she wants to be and what it will take to get there。
Reviews
Blubonnet1
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06/06/2021
Tracy Kelley
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Started slow but picked up as other voices were written into the story。 I had a hard time finding Alice likable。
Angela Juneau
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Thought provokingThought provoking but I left unsatisfied。。。 kind of disappointed in all them， but yet how human。 Self reflection__ how often we accept less than from ourselves。
Donna White
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I was skeptical at first。 it didn't seem like it was going anywhere。 But by the 4th or 5th chapter there bacame a huge surpise， it all fell into place。 Notr my favorite read but a good one。 I was skeptical at first。 it didn't seem like it was going anywhere。 But by the 4th or 5th chapter there bacame a huge surpise， it all fell into place。 Notr my favorite read but a good one。 。。。more
Deborah Main
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Nice quick and easy read。 One of the better Amazon Prime freebies I’ve had！
Lotus Josiah
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Great book with a twist here and there。 Great writing style。 The end just felt like a sudden stop and unfinished。
Kristen
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4。5🌟
Linda Rowlett
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 For me this book did not live up to the hype I read about it。 The love between the two deceased characters was not believable; we do not see them being loving。 The deceased husband was such a sorry man。 He made no one happy。 His daughter Alice is left drifting in life until she is 39。 How fortunate for her that she never reads the words her father wrote， or she might not have reached a point where she could move on。
Pam Hurd
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Enjoyable readA quick enjoyable read。 It left me wanting a little more。 Maybe she will have another one that visits these character later in their journeys。 I would definitely enjoy a revisit with them。
Jane Tennyson
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A thoughtful readThis was a well told story with enough drama to keep me reading。 The characters were interesting and most added to the development of the plot。
Choua Vue
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Not much to say about this book。 I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it either。 I enjoyed the storyline and how the characters tied into each other。 I didn't see the twist coming， when really， I should have seen it coming。 Although it was a shorter book， I took my time reading this。 After the twist， I was expecting something explosive at the end but things ended more on the subtle side。 With all the "what's the meaning of life" quotes and sayings， this was an enjoyable average read for me。 Not much to say about this book。 I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it either。 I enjoyed the storyline and how the characters tied into each other。 I didn't see the twist coming， when really， I should have seen it coming。 Although it was a shorter book， I took my time reading this。 After the twist， I was expecting something explosive at the end but things ended more on the subtle side。 With all the "what's the meaning of life" quotes and sayings， this was an enjoyable average read for me。 。。。more
Wendy
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Families are differentI really enjoyed the dip into a different culture。 Families are different than the ones you see on TV。 The plot twist was not predictable。 I also liked the life continues ending。
Silvia
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CaptivatingThis book captivated me from the first page。 Growing up in an Asian family I felt comfortable with the familiarity。 I felt at home。 I understood Alice’s mother， her actions toward her daughter。 I understood the unspoken words between them。 I was amazed this author was able to capture all of this， this blended culture。 I only wish it was longer yet it was the perfect length。
Rebecca H。 Sanders
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Great book！I loved this book！ It's well written。 The characters are totally believable。 I loved the unexpected twists and turns in the story。。。maybe there will be a sequel。 Can't wait for more from this author！ Great book！I loved this book！ It's well written。 The characters are totally believable。 I loved the unexpected twists and turns in the story。。。maybe there will be a sequel。 Can't wait for more from this author！ 。。。more
Angela
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I received this book as an ACR from Goodreads。 It is not my favorite genre but reading the summary it seemed like a book that I would enjoy reading。 And I was write。 The story is beautifully written with interesting characters that you just want to learn more about and find out what events have shaped their character and their actions。I would definitely suggest this book to anyone interested in this genre of stories！
Beth Wienck
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Great book by a debut authorI really enjoyed this book！ It was a slow start， but as I got into it I couldn't put it down。 Alice discovers at the end what is so important！！ （You have to read it to find out！） The family and friend dynamics make it so good， and I enjoyed the different voices in each chapter。 This book lends itself to a sequel！ I received the Kindle edition from Goodreads， it was a pleasure to read！ Great book by a debut authorI really enjoyed this book！ It was a slow start， but as I got into it I couldn't put it down。 Alice discovers at the end what is so important！！ （You have to read it to find out！） The family and friend dynamics make it so good， and I enjoyed the different voices in each chapter。 This book lends itself to a sequel！ I received the Kindle edition from Goodreads， it was a pleasure to read！ 。。。more
Laura
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I grabbed this book as an "Amazon First Read" choice and I'm glad that I did。It took me a bit to be pulled into the story， but once I was， I really enjoyed it。 I grabbed this book as an "Amazon First Read" choice and I'm glad that I did。It took me a bit to be pulled into the story， but once I was， I really enjoyed it。 。。。more
Alicia Bonaparte
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Very EnjoyableA book about love， sacrifice， commitment， loyalty， confusion， deceit， understanding， compassion， trust， and friendship。 Very well written。Very good book
Kindle
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Great read Easy reading feel good book。 It has a mice feel about it and you can picture the characters in you head
Rita
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Interesting Interesting story but it got slow a couple times。 I was compelled to read to the end。 I would have liked to know how Victor reacted to knowing she was his sister
Lolly K Dandeneau
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via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com。。。"𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫。 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧， 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞。 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚。”Alice Chang never imagined herself living with her widowed， Korean mother “Ahma” at the age of thirty-nine。 Alice’s husband Louis has filed for divorce， the apartment she has been living in during their separation is no longer an option， now that the landlord is converting them into a condominium and she never told her p via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com。。。"𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫。 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧， 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞。 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚。”Alice Chang never imagined herself living with her widowed， Korean mother “Ahma” at the age of thirty-nine。 Alice’s husband Louis has filed for divorce， the apartment she has been living in during their separation is no longer an option， now that the landlord is converting them into a condominium and she never told her parents they were living apart。 She and Louis will not be reunited， it really is over， despite her wishes for the contrary。 When her Ahma offers her the chance to save money by living with her “for a bit”， she accepts， and has to tell her mom she hasn’t been living with Lois。 It’s just a necessary yet small lie， telling Ahma that they are just ‘taking a break’。 As a bookkeeper， Alice isn’t swimming in money， there isn’t any other option that is good for her meager budget。 Still， sharing a home with Ahma， watching her rebirth is a shock to Alice’s system。 On the heels of her father’s unexpected death， she is stunned by her mother’s ‘transformation’ from devoted housewife to a sexy single， and one who is suddenly speaking English all the time， moving up in real estate work。 She has come into her own in a big way！ Being the widow of a dentist she certainly doesn’t need the money， and why the rush with dating？ The cherry on top， her sixty-two year old mother is dating much younger men！ Didn’t she love Appa， Alice’s father？ Weren’t they happy？ Where are the tears？ Worse， she seems to want to clean out every trace of him。 When she is asked to dispose of her father’s things， Alice keeps his notebook written in Korean， desperate to translate it yet fearful of handing private thoughts over to a stranger。 For now， she keeps it hidden from her mother， who is sure if he had something to tell， he would have told his daughter in life。 Living in her old bedroom， hiding things， she feels she is regressing。 Her mother is like a rising sun， full of energy， happiness and light。 Why dos this sting Alice so？If only Alice could know how her father felt， surely he loved his daughter？ His little family of three？ Her mother is blooming while she is flailing after her long marriage and trying to come to terms with her emotionally distant father’s death。 He was solid， dependable， a good man if not demonstrative and as involved as her Ahma。 Troubled that her mother seems to be on a quest to “catch up on the life she missed”， when she seemed happy enough， even if she was the one always showing the affection， could it be there are pieces missing in her family story？ Victor， a man she works for， is translating her father’s notebook， but there are dangerous secrets and burning regrets that can only hurt Alice and her mother。 They aren’t the only ones。 Appa’s reserve hid a lot about his internal struggles， the painful choices that haunted his heart and kept his marriage distant and cold。 Is Alice ready to unearth the truth？ One thing is certain， her mother is a person too， one that longed for more than pleasing her husband and mothering her beloved daughter。It’s a complex family tale， one that exposes the traps of marriage and the shame of yearning as well as the limit of choices。 Cultural expectations， young hearts， and the hope for those who have a second chance at a different life。 Alice has to see her parents and their marriage with adult eyes， a transition that isn’t easy when marred by regrets。 Where does she fit in all of this？ How can she move forward now and let go of the plans she made with Lois？ What does her late father’s words have to do with her own future？ Engaging and moving。Publication Date: June 1， 2021 Out NowLake Union Publishing 。。。more
Melinda Hunter
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ExcellentThe story flows seamlessly， and the ending was so unexpected， I didn't want it to end。 A really good read。 ExcellentThe story flows seamlessly， and the ending was so unexpected， I didn't want it to end。 A really good read。 。。。more
Sandi Dickenson
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Not a bad read。 The book's last chapter was a couple of paragraphs and wasn't needed。 The ending was acheived very well in the previous chapter。 Not a bad read。 The book's last chapter was a couple of paragraphs and wasn't needed。 The ending was acheived very well in the previous chapter。 。。。more
Donna
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Like Wind Against Rock by Nancy KimAlice Chang is back living at her childhood home following her separation and is appalled that her mother has morphed from homely housewife to an online dating， dressing too young， hard negotiating realtor since the death of Alice's father。 Alice slowly uncovers the truth of her parents' marriage and faces up to some truths about herself along the way。I loved this book so much， from the very first page to the very end。 Mrs Chang was such a fantastic character， Like Wind Against Rock by Nancy KimAlice Chang is back living at her childhood home following her separation and is appalled that her mother has morphed from homely housewife to an online dating， dressing too young， hard negotiating realtor since the death of Alice's father。 Alice slowly uncovers the truth of her parents' marriage and faces up to some truths about herself along the way。I loved this book so much， from the very first page to the very end。 Mrs Chang was such a fantastic character， she really came to life on the page！ And how the story unfolded was so incredible - no spoilers！ I loved how the main character Alice changed/grew throughout the story。 Fantastic book， very highly recommended！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Brandy Closs Gibbs
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LovelyI love books that hold my attention with not too much filler。 The story line was sweet and sad。 Good quick read。
Marilyn
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Lovely bookI read this in one sitting。 It felt so real， good characters and believable story。 Alice carried the story but the others also came to life。
Lesley
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Every decision sets a courseI think I liked this because it seemed to be about living not just being。 Alice finally opens herself to possibility。
Sarah
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review。 Oh I wish this book was longer！ It's ultimately a love story， but it is so sad too！ Alice learns to grieve her father， love herself， and discovers secrets in her family。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review。 Oh I wish this book was longer！ It's ultimately a love story， but it is so sad too！ Alice learns to grieve her father， love herself， and discovers secrets in her family。 。。。more
Molly
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（Giveaway Winner）This was a lovely and touching read about self-discovery and family （specifically marriage and parenthood） in all its complications and definitions。 Nancy Kim develops her characters with such warmth and compassion， and the way their stories unfold and overlap was utterly captivating。 Each of the characters grows immensely between the beginning of the novel and the end， in ways that feel authentic to who they are and not too forced or heavy-handed。 A great read that I expect wil （Giveaway Winner）This was a lovely and touching read about self-discovery and family （specifically marriage and parenthood） in all its complications and definitions。 Nancy Kim develops her characters with such warmth and compassion， and the way their stories unfold and overlap was utterly captivating。 Each of the characters grows immensely between the beginning of the novel and the end， in ways that feel authentic to who they are and not too forced or heavy-handed。 A great read that I expect will show up on plenty of book club lists！ 。。。more
Kandi Gunter
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