The Riveter, Jack Wang
The Riveter, Jack Wang
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The Riveter
A Novel

Author: Jack Wang

Narrator: Feodor Chin

Unabridged: 9 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperVia

Published: 02/11/2025

Synopsis

In the vein of All the Light We Cannot See, a cross-cultural love story set against the dramatic backdrop of the Allied invasion of Europe during WWII.Vancouver, 1942. Josiah Chang arrives in the bustling city ready to make a new life for himself. The Second World War is in full swing, and Josiah, like so many Canadians, wants to prove his loyalty by serving his country. But Chinese Canadians are barred from joining the army out of fear they might expect citizenship in return. So, Josiah heads to the shipyard where he finds work as a riveter, fastening together the ribs and steel plates of Victory ships. One night, Josiah spots Poppy singing at a navy club. Despite their different backgrounds, they fall for each other instantly, and soon Josiah is spending his nights at Poppy’s small wartime house. Their starry-eyed romance lasts until Poppy’s father comes to visit and the harsh reality of their situation is made clear. Determined to prove himself to Poppy, her parents, and the world, Josiah travels to Toronto where he’s finally given the chance to enlist. Josiah rises to the occasion, but is the world changing as fast as his dreams…  From the critically acclaimed author of We Two Alone, Jack Wang’s gorgeous debut novel explores what one man must sacrifice to belong in the only home he has ever truly known. 

About Jack Wang

Jack Wang is the author of the award-winning story collection We Two Alone. He holds an MFA from the University of Arizona and a PhD in English from Florida State University, and he is the recipient of an Artist Fellowship in Fiction from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the David T. K. Wong Creative Writing Fellowship from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Wang is a professor of writing at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, where he lives with his wife and their two daughters.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Shannon on January 26, 2025

I really enjoyed this debut novel from Canadian author, Jack Wang that is set just before, during and after WWII and follows Josiah Chang, a Chinese Canadian without citizenship who falls hard for Poppy, a young white woman he meets in a bar while she's singing on stages. The two have a whirlwind in......more

Goodreads review by Kristin on February 15, 2025

If you think that another World War II novel is white noise, you would be wrong about The Riveter by Jack Wang. I can guarantee that this book offers a fresh perspective. The Riveter follows Josiah Chang, a man of Chinese descent living in Canada. Though his family has been living in Canada for mult......more

Goodreads review by Lisa on March 30, 2025

When I read something that isn't trashy (aka brain candy) I tend to gravitate towards books like this. Ordinary people during WW2. I found this book fascinating for a few reasons. That it was partly set in Vancouver in the 30s and 40s with places and events my grandmother used to reminisce about wer......more

Goodreads review by Enid on March 05, 2025

If you want to read a solid, and very Canadian, historical fiction - that even comes with an acceptable modicum of romance - try this one. Certainly Jack can write - as we say clearly in his debut collection of short stories, We Two Alone. This shines a light on a chapter in our history that is less w......more

Goodreads review by Pat on May 13, 2025

I seldom finish a book as quickly as I did The Riveter. A true page-turner. Part All the Light We Cannot See, part Band of Brothers. Likable characters and a compelling story. Well done to first time novelist Jack Wang!......more

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