Mathey Girls

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By Melody Chu ’01

Published Nov. 17, 2025

Esther Hsu’s life seems to be perfect. She’s an Ivy League-educated woman taking a break from her lucrative consulting career — a beaming example of a second-generation immigrant success story. In reality, she feels like a failure, as a 40-year-old with no job, and she’s keeping it a secret from everyone. Her life shifts dramatically when one of her Princeton friends (who call themselves the Mathey Girls, a nod to their Princeton dorm) dies in childbirth and Esther steps in to supper her friend’s spouse and child. Mathey Girls (Redleaves Books) tells a heartfelt story about family, friendship, and grief. 

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PAW's October 2026 cover, featuring a photo of a loaf of challah bread and the headline "The Braids That Bind."
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