This is a pretty silly book which will probably be made into a pretty silly movie in the vein of Crazy rich Asians. But it does provide an interesting look at Indonesian-Chinese culture in America. Meddelin (Meddy) Chan lives with her mother and near her extended family of aunts – Big Aunt, Second Aunt, and Fourth Aunt (her mother is the third of the sisters). The husbands and sons are either dead, divorced, or have escaped the centrifugal pull of the family and gone out into the wider world. But Meddy, when she finishes college, decides to stay in the Los Angeles area and join her family’s new venture, weddings, rather than accompanying Nathan, her boyfriend of three years standing, when he gets a dream job in New York. It is telling that no one in the family is aware of Nathan’s existence despite their being together most of Meddy's college years. One aunt will bake elaborate cakes, another will be in charge of makeup and hair, and Fourth Aunt is the wedding singer. Meddy, a photographer, will capture the wedding day on film and video. Seven years later, the business (“Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!) is successful enough that they are hired to do an over-the-top wedding of a billionaire on a private island. However, the night before it is to take place, Meddy accidently kills her blind date when he attacks her on a deserted highway. Wah! What to do? As the aunties would say. Then, surprise, surprise, Nathan turns up as the owner of the exclusive hotel where the festivities are about to commence. Much toting about of a cooler full of the cooling blind date. Diverting but still silly. 309 pp.
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