The Satisfaction Cafe

This quiet novel follows Joan, a Taiwanese woman, through her life in the U.S beginning with her graduate studies at Stanford in the 1970s. After a disastrous and brief first marriage, Joan falls in love with and marries a wealthy, older American man, becoming his fourth wife. Joan has to navigate Bill's family including his siblings and his adult children, while raising a family with him. Throughout her life, Joan grapples with the question of satisfaction and belonging. As she grows older and her children are grown, Joan decides to open the titular "Satisfaction Cafe." This isn't just a regular cafe; it's a place where customers can find connection and conversation, with a staff trained to listen and engage. The cafe becomes a metaphorical and literal space where Joan addresses the "global deficit in satisfaction" and ultimately creates a lasting legacy for herself. A moving story about found family, the joys and sorrows of aging, and the search for meaning and fulfillment at every stage of life.