FISH HEADS AND DUCK SKIN BY LINDSEY SALATKA

Publisher ‏ : ‎ She Writes Press (July 20, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1647421284

EXHILARATING DEBUT TAKES READERS ON TWO JOURNEYS:

ONE TO SHANGHAI, THE OTHER TO SELF-REALIZATION

“This novel takes you on a journey and an adventure through the eyes of a female protagonist who will resonate with many. It is unique and humorously heartfelt, with vivid imagery of a family finding itself amidst the unexpected … it is a darkly funny diatribe and celebration of self-discovery in a foreign land.” - Reedsy



High achieving and short-fused, Tina Martin is burnt out. Burnt out at work, burnt out at home, burnt out in her marriage. Faced with this, some might cancel a few obligations, book a spa weekend, or at worst, consider a job change. But in a move that most would only fantasize about, Tina packs up her family, abandons her career, and books one-way tickets to Shanghai-to live. In Fish Heads and Duck Skin by Lindsey Salatka [She Writes Press, July 2021], we experience the travel and cross-cultural experience of pre-pandemic times and a level of inspiring reinvention typically reserved for the young, single and childless.

Tina moves her husband and two daughters to Shanghai, hoping the new surroundings will bring her the zen-like inner peace she’s always heard about on infomercials. Instead, she becomes a totally exasperated fish out of water, doing wacky things like holding a shifty delivery man’s shoes hostage, turning a bidet hose on a group of local women, and contemplating the murder of her daughter’s new pet cricket.

It takes the friendship of an elderly tai chi instructor, a hot Mandarin tutor, and several mahjong-tile-slinging expats to bring Tina closer to a culture she doesn’t initially appreciate, the dream job she never knew existed, and the self she has always sought.

“The themes in the book are universal, everyone wants to belong and feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves,” Salatka says. “Tina captures the struggle many of us feel and then moves across the globe to find herself, only to realize the person she wants to be was inside her all along.”

SYNOPSIS:

On the advice of a five-dollar psychic, Tina Martin, a zany, overworked mother of two, quits her high-powered job and moves her family to Shanghai. Tina yearns for this new setting to bring her the zen-like inner peace she’s always heard about on infomercials. Instead, she becomes a totally exasperated fish out of water, doing wacky things like stealing the shoes of a shifty delivery man, spraying local women with a bidet hose, and contemplating the murder of her new pet cricket.

It takes the friendship of an elderly tai chi instructor, a hot Mandarin tutor, and several mah-jongg-tile-slinging expats to bring Tina closer to a culture she doesn’t understand, the dream job she never knew existed, and the self she has always sought. Fish Heads and Duck Skin will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered who they are, why they were put here, and how they ever lived before eating pan-fried pork buns.


MY REVIEW:


This was a riveting read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My interest in this book was first captured by its title, but what I found within the pages of this book and in Lindsey's writing was truly a well-written heartwarming and breathtaking novel that takes the reader to a journey of self discovery through Shanghai.


As an AAPI woman from the culture, I cannot help but laugh and empathize with the story because it is heartbreakingly true. But in the heart of the story is appreciating how despite our cultural differences, we are more alike that different, and Lindsey Salatka captured the essence of the story in a beautiful way.

I really loved this book!

Author Spotlight:

Lindsey Salatka is an author, ghost-writer, and editor. Her writing has been featured at BlogHer and in Shanghai Family Magazine, Urbanatomy: Shanghai, and Volumes 3 and 4 of Shaking the Tree: Brazen. Short. Memoir. She is on the advisory board of the San Diego Writers Festival and serves as Director of the KidsWrite! Children’s Writing Contest. You can find Lindsey on Instagram @mywhatlovelygillsyouhave, on Facebook @fishheadsandduckskin, or on Twitter @lindseysalatka