Next Time Will Be Our Turn Summary: A Saga of Love, Sacrifice & Identity

Last Updated: August 25, 2026

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Every family carries secrets, but some remain buried for decades.

In Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto, a Chinese New Year celebration becomes the unexpected moment when one family’s hidden history begins to surface.

This article provides a factual summary of the novel’s plot, characters, and central themes.

It covers the dual timelines, the relationships that define Magnolia’s life, and the choices that shape three generations of women.

TL;DR: The Essential Snapshot

Set across two timelines: present-day Jakarta (2025–2026) and 1998 California.
Nainai, the 73-year-old matriarch, shocks her Chinese-Indonesian family by publicly kissing a female partner.
She tells her granddaughter Izzy the secret story of her youth, including her love for a woman named Ellery O’Shea.
The novel deals with “saving face,” family duty, patriarchal pressure, and the cost of choosing obligation over love.
Magnolia ultimately gives up Ellery to raise her sister’s daughter Hazel, later building a mental health empire before her death.
The book ends with Izzy spreading Nainai’s ashes in California, where Magnolia and Ellery appear reunited in a final vision.

Next Time Will Be Our Turn Summary: The Deep Dive

Spoiler Warning: This section recounts the complete plot, including the ending.

The novel opens in present-day Jakarta during a lavish Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the Chen family. Izzy, a sixteen-year-old who feels like an outsider, watches as her grandmother Nainai arrives with a woman named Sawyer and kisses her publicly.

The family descends into scandal, but Nainai remains unbothered. She takes Izzy on a series of night walks and begins telling her the story that no one else knows.

In 1998, a mousy sixteen-year-old Magnolia is sent to Pasadena, California, with her rebellious older sister Iris. Their parents expect them to attend community college and return home as marriageable daughters.

Magnolia meets Ellery O’Shea at a bookstore. Ellery is tall, adventurous, and completely unlike anyone Magnolia has ever known. They become close friends, sharing driving lessons and cooking meals together.

Magnolia suppresses her feelings, convinced she only has a “girl crush.” She dates a boy named James, but the connection feels hollow compared to what she feels around Ellery.

When Ellery leaves for London to pursue a writing career, she does not tell Magnolia until the last moment. The discovery causes a bitter falling out. Heartbroken, Magnolia returns to Jakarta.

She becomes a “pliant” daughter, working at her parents’ clinic and eventually marrying Parker. Parker is “perfect on paper” but cannot replace what she lost. Magnolia writes unsent letters to Ellery, burying her desire beneath the demands of a traditional Chindo wife.

Years later, Iris returns to Jakarta pregnant and fleeing an abusive marriage to Erik. Magnolia steps in to protect her sister. When Hazel is born, Magnolia manipulates Parker into moving the family back to Los Angeles under the pretense of his MBA studies.

In LA, Magnolia reunites with Ellery. Their connection remains strong, and they finally confess their love. Magnolia begins pursuing a master’s degree in social work, finally stepping outside the “trophy wife” box.

They plan a life together, but tragedy intervenes. Iris dies in a car accident, and Erik sues for custody of Hazel.

Magnolia’s lawyer explains the harsh reality: in the Indonesian legal system, a divorced woman with no income cannot win a custody battle against a biological father. Magnolia faces an impossible choice.

She chooses Hazel. She breaks Ellery’s heart a second time and orders her to stay away. Magnolia must maintain the appearance of a stable, traditional marriage to secure legal guardianship.

Magnolia returns to Jakarta with Parker and Hazel. She does not sink back into the trophy wife role. Instead, she builds “Counseling Services,” a mental health empire advocating for women and children.

She remains with Parker until his death, living with what the novel describes as “battered and frayed” but enduring affection. Ellery stays in the past, a ghost of what could have been.

Back in the present, Nainai tells Izzy that Ellery passed away years earlier. She encourages Izzy to use her saved money to find her own freedom and “never let anyone put you in a box.”

The novel concludes with Izzy spreading Nainai’s ashes in the California ocean. She sees a vision of Magnolia and Ellery as young women, finally reunited.

Summary by Chapter

Spoiler Warning: This section groups all 26 chapters, interludes, and the epilogue into narrative parts.

The Public Scandal & The Secret Begins (Chapters 1–2 & Interludes)

Izzy narrates the suffocating atmosphere of the Chen family’s New Year celebration. The event turns chaotic when Nainai arrives with Sawyer and kisses her in front of everyone. Nainai then pulls Izzy aside to begin telling her secret history.

The California Dream & Meeting Ellery (Chapters 3–10)

A young Magnolia arrives in Pasadena with Iris for community college. She meets Ellery at a bookstore, and they develop an intense friendship built on driving lessons and shared meals. Magnolia suppresses her growing attraction and pursues a relationship with James instead.

The Trophy Wife & The Jakarta Return (Chapters 11–14)

After the falling out with Ellery, Magnolia returns to Jakarta and marries Parker. She attempts to bury her feelings in unsent letters and struggles to reconcile her education with her role as a traditional Chindo wife.

Iris’s Crisis & The Path to Los Angeles (Chapters 15–19)

Iris escapes her abusive husband Erik and returns to Indonesia pregnant. Magnolia finally stands up to her parents and Parker to protect her sister. After Hazel’s birth, Magnolia manipulates Parker into relocating the family to LA.

Reunion, Confession & Transformation (Chapters 20–22)

In Los Angeles, Magnolia reunites with Ellery and realizes she is deeply in love. Encouraged by Ellery and Iris, she pursues a master’s degree in social work and steps outside her “trophy wife” identity.

Tragedy & The Impossible Choice (Chapters 23–26)

Iris dies in a car accident just as Magnolia and Ellery plan their future. Erik sues for custody of Hazel. Magnolia chooses Hazel, breaks Ellery’s heart, and returns to Jakarta to maintain a stable marriage for the legal battle.

Legacy & The Afterlife (Epilogue)

Decades later, Izzy spreads Nainai’s ashes in California. She reflects on her grandmother’s lessons of courage and witnesses a final vision of Magnolia and Ellery reunited as young women.

Characters In This Book

Character	Role
Magnolia Chen (Nainai)	The protagonist who evolves from a timid daughter into a powerful matriarch.
Izzy	Magnolia’s sixteen-year-old granddaughter and the narrator of the present-day frame story.
Ellery O’Shea	Magnolia’s soulmate, a freelance journalist who loves plants and poetry.
Iris Chen	Magnolia’s older sister, a programmer who escapes an abusive marriage.
Parker (Yeye)	Magnolia’s husband, an ambitious businessman who becomes a devoted father to Hazel.
Hazel	Iris’s daughter, whom Magnolia raises as her own child.
Mama and Papa	Magnolia and Iris’s parents, who prioritize family reputation over their daughters’ happiness.
Erik	Iris’s abusive husband and the primary antagonist of the story.
Sawyer	Nainai’s girlfriend in the present day.
Kate	Izzy’s partner, mentioned in the epilogue.

What Drives the Story

Theme	How the book presents it
Chinese-Indonesian culture and “saving face”	The Chen family’s decisions consistently prioritize public reputation over individual happiness.
Patriarchy and the subjugation of women	Magnolia’s parents and society expect her to be a “pliant” daughter who marries well and suppresses her intellect.
Duty to family versus individual desire	Magnolia chooses to raise Hazel over staying with Ellery, sacrificing her personal fulfillment for family obligation.
Sisterhood and the protective bond between women	Magnolia protects Iris from abuse, then extends that protection to Hazel after Iris’s death.
LGBTQ+ identity and self-acceptance	Magnolia spends decades hiding her love for Ellery before finally telling her story to Izzy.
Mental health and cultural stigma	Magnolia’s later career as a mental health advocate reflects the silence she experienced in her own life.

How does Next Time Will Be Our Turn end?

The novel ends with Izzy spreading Nainai’s ashes in the California ocean. She sees a vision of Magnolia and Ellery reunited as young women in the afterlife.

Is Next Time Will Be Our Turn a romance?

The book includes a central love story between Magnolia and Ellery, but it is primarily domestic fiction and a multi-generational saga about sacrifice and family duty.

Who is the narrator of Next Time Will Be Our Turn?

The present-day frame story is narrated by Izzy, Magnolia’s sixteen-year-old granddaughter, while the historical timeline follows Magnolia’s perspective.

Does Magnolia end up with Ellery in Next Time Will Be Our Turn?

Magnolia and Ellery do not end up together in life. Magnolia chooses to raise Hazel, and the novel’s epilogue suggests they reunite only after death.

What is the main conflict in Next Time Will Be Our Turn?

The central conflict is Magnolia’s choice between her love for Ellery and her duty to protect Hazel after Iris’s death.