Sophie Wan hasn’t yet finished her MBA at Wharton, but on Tuesday, she’ll publish her first novel.
The Penn student is preparing for the release of “Women of Good Fortune,” a twisty heist story that takes place inside a ritzy Shanghai wedding. Pitched as a cross between Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” franchise and the best-selling Kirstin Chen novel “Counterfeit,” the book follows friends Lulu, Jane and Rina as they attempt to steal the gift money from Lulu’s own impending nuptials. With their resulting cuts, each hopes to realize a long-held dream — delaying parenthood to continue a career, addressing long-held insecurities with plastic surgery or running off to Thailand.
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Through these characters, the novel delves into a Chinese term known as sheng nu, or “leftover women.” The antiquated label refers to unmarried women of a certain age (typically over 27), which applies to Rina. Jane only recently escaped the branding through an unhappy marriage, which she fears Lulu will repeat with her union to a wealthy heir.
“I was really fascinated by the concept of the leftover woman in China,” said Wan, who grew up in the Bay Area as the child of Chinese immigrants. “I think a lot of it is relatable because, well, I’m Chinese. A lot of my friends are Chinese American. And I think around our age, like late 20s, early 30s, we start getting a lot of pressure from our parents around being married and getting settled down.”
Wan says her parents, thankfully, care more about her pursuing passions than getting married as soon as possible. But the parents in her book aren’t as understanding. The overwhelming familial and societal pressure pushes her main characters to design a very risky and very illegal scheme involving Rina’s speedster cousin and Jane’s go-to counterfeit dealer.
To structure the actual con, Wan says she watched movies like “Ocean’s 11,” “Ocean’s 8” and “American Animals,” a fictionalization of the 2004 book heist at Transylvania University, for inspiration. Jane, Rina and Lulu’s target — a glass safe full of red envelopes containing cash from guests — came from a real wedding Wan’s friend attended.
“I always get drawn in by a heist story,” she said. “Even though there is a formula — you kind of know what to expect from the ending, you expect the crew will get away with their crime — I think there’s so many elements to play with and I think that’s what makes it really exciting and fresh.”
Wan started writing the story in 2021, a year before she began classes at Penn. Her time management skills were immediately put to the test when the book sold about halfway through her fall semester. She completed edits in marathon sessions at the library or student lounge, often dedicating two-hour chunks of time to revisions before running off to another academic commitment.
Wan sees a version of this schedule in her future, as she would like to continue writing books while holding down a full-time job in the business world. But her most immediate concerns are her upcoming March 21 author event at the Barnes & Noble on 1708 Chestnut St. and continuing to survive the Philadelphia elements after a lifetime on the West Coast.
“I have a puffer jacket, and I’ve been putting it to use,” she said with a laugh.
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