The Expatriates

The Expatriates is a 2016 novel by Janice Y. K. Lee. The novel is set in the expatriate community of Hong Kong and follows the intertwined lives of three women: Margaret, Mercy, and Hilary. The women’s lives collide in unexpected and tragic ways, beginning with the loss of Margaret’s young son. The novel explores The Search for Identity and Belonging, The Complexities of Motherhood, and The Role of Forgiveness in Navigating Loss. Lee was born and raised in Hong Kong, and her upbringing informs the novel’s lush descriptions of the setting and culture. Her award-winning first novel, The Piano Teacher, was also set in Hong Kong. Director Lulu Wang recently adapted The Expatriates into a miniseries for Prime Video.

This guide references the 2016 Penguin Books e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material and study guide feature depictions of child loss, kidnapping, abortion, and racism.

Plot Summary

The Expatriates follows three expat women living in Hong Kong: Margaret, Hilary, and Mercy. The novel opens with Mercy and Margaret both dealing with the aftereffects of a traumatic event a year earlier when Margaret, a wealthy housewife and mother of three, hired Mercy to watch her children on a family trip to Korea. Mercy is a Korean American in her mid-twenties who moved to Hong Kong for a fresh start, trying to find her path forward in life. She is well-meaning but careless. On the trip, Mercy lost sight of the youngest child, four-year-old G, while in a crowded market, and he disappeared, presumably kidnapped.

In the present, Mercy has become reclusive, staying in her tiny apartment and working odd jobs. She must force herself to eat and feels that she should disappear because of her carelessness with G. On the wealthier side of town, Margaret is going through the motions of maintaining her household and interacting with her family—her husband, Clarke, and her older children, Daisy and Philip. However, she is deeply upset and spends her days going to a secret apartment in a poorer part of town where she lies on the bed and thinks about her losses.

Meanwhile, Hilary, another wealthy housewife, feels that her life is in limbo. Her marriage to her husband, David, is increasingly chilly. She has been struggling with infertility. She meets a seven-year-old at a local orphanage, whom she calls Julian, and she brings him to her house for weekly piano lessons but has not formally moved forward with the adoption, worrying that she might be making a mistake. She has lunch with her friend, Olivia, a native of Hong Kong, who tells her that she knows something about David. Hilary assumes that he is being unfaithful and tells Olivia that she can’t bear to know the news yet.

She goes home and prepares for a dinner party attended by some other expats, including Margaret and Clarke. At the party, David announces that he is leaving for a prior engagement. Hilary is embarrassed and pretends she knew in advance, then lies thinking about how her marriage is failing. The next morning, her mother arrives from California for their annual vacation to Bangkok. David sends Hilary a text telling her that he is moving out and taking some time for himself. Hilary panics but is also somewhat relieved. She tells her mother, who takes the news well and attempts to comfort her.

It turns out that David met Mercy at a bar and began an affair with her. Several months pass in a time jump. Mercy becomes pregnant and tells him, and he responds by withdrawing from her. Her mother arrives unexpectedly from New York and tells Mercy that she left her abusive father. Mercy begins mending her relationship with her mother and starts dating a young Chinese man, Charlie Leung, who is a former classmate. She imagines that she could have a life with Charlie, but when she eventually tells him about her pregnancy, he leaves her.

Meanwhile, Margaret has been attempting to resume normal life but instead continues to spiral. She and her family take a vacation to Thailand, but it ends early when Philip is briefly lost. The family panics, still not healed from G’s loss. Hilary hits a low point and spends all her time in her room or online on message boards. She is paranoid because a poster has alluded to the situation between her and Julian. She finally realizes that she needs to adopt him and begins the process. She also takes him to the country club and defends him when some expat children are unkind.

All the narrative threads converge at Clarke Reade’s 50th birthday party. Mercy and her mom attend as freelance caterers, and Hilary is a guest. At the party, Hilary fights with David about the adoption and is comforted by Olivia. Mercy realizes that it is Clarke’s party and panics, leaving early. Margaret spots her and, very drunk, rushes into the kitchen screaming her name. She makes an embarrassing scene, and partygoers gawk at her.

In the months after the party, Mercy settles into a comfortable routine. She works a part-time job at a store and attends a Korean church with her mother. She has become close to her mother and finally tells her about G. Her mother affirms that she loves her and that she is not fated to be unlucky, telling her that she made a mistake but has the right to be happy again. She receives an email from Margaret, asking for a meeting. Margaret has also been thinking about the party incident and wants to speak to her. The two women meet for lunch and reconcile, with Margaret forgiving Mercy and admitting that she doesn’t hate her.

Hilary also has a meeting with David and realizes that she doesn’t love him but does pity him. He complains about his life, and she chastises him for not being more present for Mercy. He agrees to help her with the adoption. Hilary decides to move back to California to be closer to her family and to start a new life with Julian.

In the Epilogue, Mercy gives birth to her daughter. Margaret and Hilary visit her in the hospital and offer her friendship and kindness. Mercy’s mother arrives with food, and Mercy thinks that all four of the women are bonded by motherhood.