The Partner Track: A Novel Paperback – September 9, 2014

I found this gem as a result of the series trailer advertised on Netflix. From what I could see, it looked exactly like a book I’d want to read and as it turns out, there is in fact a book that the show is based on. Ingrid Yung has been working at Parsons Valentine & Hunt for 8 years and now a senior associate, she is on track to be partner. I could relate to a lot of her experiences as being a first generation Asian American. There’s a lot of old boys club type of fraternizing in these prestigious and private law firms and Ingrid is eager to be the first woman of color to take her place among them. She’s got a lot to juggle on her plate between a huge merger deal worth mega millions, a new diversity initiative that is intent on making her the poster child and a coworker boyfriend.I admired Ingrid. She’s excellent at what she does because she’s intelligent, professional and polished. She knows how to balance her way around the law firm culture and accomplish her workload. Given the crucial timing, now more than ever, she has to lay low and get the job done. I loved all the struggles regarding ethnicity, gender and job disparity. The misogyny is both subtle and overt, and in a law firm where partners are kings and everyone else is but a servant or glorified assistant, the hierarchy is obvious. There’s also a “who you know, not what you know” aspect, too, with networking amongst the big wigs. It’s rather disgusting or disheartening depending on how you look at it especially when consequences or repercussions come into play, and the punishment doesn’t always fit the crime.I hated to see Ingrid work so hard and struggle, which is likely not unusual for many young lawyers in her position. She was swimming with sharks in a cutthroat environment and dealing with pushback in every direction. It doesn’t pay to stay silent and people will always throw each other under the bus to save their own neck when it comes to corporate competition. In the end, there was a rather dramatic conclusion that had me flipping the pages excitedly, but I loved that Ingrid was finally able to set her own terms. Definitely an entertaining and fascinating read that had me completely invested and eager to see it play out when the show premieres

I would give this 3 1/2 stars if I could. This book is a page-turner and reads like a suspense novel you'd take to the beach, with some social commentary thrown in. As an Asian-American female attorney, I thought it was very suspenseful. But if I weren't any of these things, I probably would have wanted more action. Meaning, the suspense revolved around the glass and bamboo ceilings and not something more sinister or subversive (though as the book shows, those issues can create a lot of suspense in and of themselves). It is a good peek into what really happens in a law firm and, in my humble opinion, was overall a spot-on portrayal of the undercurrent of hopefully inadvertent racism and sexism that still exists in society and in big law. Many of the comments people made to Ingrid ("you speak English well"), the assumptions people made about her (she is the paralegal or the nanny), and recruiting her for the diversity committee rang 100% true! Seriously. Sadly. This part was not fiction; in 2014, this is still the norm. The book really shows how firms are still a good ol' boys' world and how challenging it can be for women and minorities to navigate this while trying to get the job done, but are ultimately just pawns in a profit-driven machine. Ingrid's character wasn't particularly engaging or lovable, and perhaps this was intentional. She was a very realistic portrayal of a driven female, minority attorney -- a normal person who is forced to work in a cutthroat environment with excess baggage due to no fault of her own.

Very fast read. Having practiced law both in large law firms and in-house at major corporations, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is entertaining and, well, honest and fresh for its narrator's perspective.What a unique story to see in print. Not many "two-fers" in big law firms on the cusp of partnership - but for those that are, Ingrid's experience will sound very familiar. The story is that of almost every woman/minority I know who has trudged toward law firm partnership. Most women just don't make it as far as Ingrid does. And most women barely speak of the things that they hear and face -even to each other, must less take them to a printed page. But Helen Wan does this in a way that is sexy and should be engaging for men and women and any attorney that has ever worked at a big firm.Overall, the book is well written and had an element of suspense that, refreshingly, takes you beyond the question of whether Ingrid makes partner and into deeper issues of survival and redemption. It puts forth a tough topic with the right tone and grace, and manages to land at some perfect point between "Lean In" and "The Devil Wears Prada".Love it. Highly recommend, especially to career women in professional services firms, and especially to female lawyers in large firms. It will help you not feel quite so alone.