Red Thread of Fate

Lyn Liao Butler

Penguin, Feb 8, 2022 - Fiction - 352 pages

In the wake of a tragedy and fueled by guilt from a secret she's kept for years, a woman discovers how delicate the thread that binds family is in this powerful novel by Lyn Liao Butler.

Two days before Tam and Tony Kwan receive their letter of acceptance for the son they are adopting from China, Tony and his estranged cousin Mia are killed unexpectedly in an accident. A shell-shocked Tam learns she is named the guardian to Mia’s five-year-old daughter, Angela. With no other family around, Tam has no choice but to agree to take in the girl she hasn’t seen since the child was an infant. 

Overwhelmed by her life suddenly being upended, Tam must also decide if she will complete the adoption on her own and bring home the son waiting for her in a Chinese orphanage. But when a long-concealed secret comes to light just as she and Angela start to bond, their fragile family is threatened. As Tam begins to unravel the events of Tony and Mia’s past in China, she discovers the true meaning of love and the threads that bind her to the family she is fated to have.

What people are saying

Red Thread of Fate

User Review  - Book Verdict

In Chinese mythology, two people fated to be together are joined by an invisible red thread from their very beginnings. The two are destined to be lovers. In her second novel, Butler (The Tiger Mom's ...

User Review -

Tam’s life is turned upside down with the tragic loss of her husband Tony. Their rocky marriage was on the mend, and they were in the final stages of adopting a little boy from China. Grieving Tony, she suddenly finds herself the guardian of a precocious five year girl. Her life is complicated further as her family expands and details about the past are revealed.
I loved this book! I loved Tam! Tam has an amazing supporting cast too. This is such a sweet story about loss and grief, lies and secrets, family and love. It’s poignant and uplifting both. A nice reminder of the importance of good communication with family and friends. 4.25 stars 

About the author

Lyn Liao Butler was born in Taiwan and moved to the States when she was seven. Before becoming an author, she was a professional ballet and modern dancer, and is still a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and yoga instructor. She is an avid animal lover and fosters dogs as well as volunteers with rescues.
 
When she is not torturing clients or talking to imaginary characters, Lyn enjoys spending time with her FDNY husband, their son (the happiest little boy in the world), their three stubborn dachshunds, sewing for her Etsy shop, and trying crazy yoga poses on a stand-up paddleboard. So far, she has not fallen into the water yet.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Red Thread of Fate
• Author: Lyn Liao Butler
• Publisher: Penguin, 2022
• ISBN: 0593198751, 9780593198759
• Length: 352 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Family Life / General; Fiction / Romance / Multicultural & Interracial; Fiction / Women