The Chosen and the Beautiful

Written by Nghi Vo

Narrated by Natalie Naudus

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"Gatsby the way it should have been written—dark, dazzling, fantastical."—R. F. Kuang

"Luxurious, thrilling, and sexy."—Adrienne Celt

Immigrant. Socialite. Magician.

Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society—she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer and Asian, a Vietnamese adoptee treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her.

But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.

Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tordotcom

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781250825230

Nghi Vo

Nghi Vo is the author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. The series entries have been finalists for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Lambda Literary Award, and have won the Crawford Award, the Ignyte Award, and the Hugo Award. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind.

Reviews for The Chosen and the Beautiful

[Agnese Palumbo · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

this was kind of all over the place? the book was too short for that it was trying to achieve, and i was left more confused by the ending than i was when i started it.

[Mary Cervantes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, the blurb was right in calling it a retelling of The Great Gatsby. More often than not, “retelling” means “loosely” — as in character or setting— but not this one. This one recounts major events from the original source.

Told from the perspective of Jordan Baker (the golfer/Daisy’s friend)— that’s what made the story interesting.

Overall rating: 3.9 rounded up.

Read my full review on goodreads: @marypaz13

[marie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The language is astonishingly magical. It is a rich reimagining of Gatsby told from the viewpoint of a heroine with a modern sensibility.

[Karen Jobim · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice and refreshing interpretation of a classic! The queer spin done well. I recommend it.

[Sheena Gurbakhash · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've always loved The Great Gatsby and this is a wonderful retelling. The prose is as rich and potent as demoniac. It's so easy to just get lost in the words. Jordan Baker is a great character. Reframing her as a Vietnamese orphan places her fully in role of outsider and her observations are so full of insight. Love the different voices and how the characters are brought to life.