Lonely people find connection in ‘The Satisfaction Café’

Is loneliness something that happens when you’re not looking?

And if so, could meaningful connection be found in a simple but purposeful café, where the lonesome are paired with the perfect partners for deep conversation?

That’s the fantasy at the heart of Kathy Wang’s new novel, “The Satisfaction Café.” It follows Joan who starts the book as a Chinese graduate students in California in the 1970s. But her life quickly turns, as revealed on page one, when Wang writes: “Joan had not thought she would stab her husband.”

From there, Joan is off to the races, marrying an older white man as a second husband, navigating his wealthy world, all while trying to find her own purpose and place.

“The Satisfaction Café.” is one of the must-reads of the summer — and this week, Wang joins Kerri Miller on Big Books and Bold Ideas to talk about loneliness, the curse (or blessing) of small talk, why some cultures are OK with brazenly talking about money (and some aren’t) and why she truly believes a third place like the Satisfaction Café could benefit us all.

Guest:

• Kathy Wang is the author of “Family Trust,” “Imposter Syndrome” and “The Satisfaction Café.” She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School, and lives in the Bay Area.

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