I’m reviewing books every now and again with the BlogHer Book Club, and my first review went live today. Here’s the plot-summary bit of it:
I so enjoyed reading Jean Kwok’s “Girl in Translation,” even though the book twisted my heartstrings at nearly every turn. It’s the story of a young girl who moves with her mother from Hong Kong to New York on the promise of a new life. When things don’t pan out as expected, Kimberly and her mother are forced into what I’m pretty sure qualifies as indentured servitude at a sweatshop.
You can read the rest at BlogHer. It’s a really good book, and I think you’d like it.
Hope your boyfriend don’t mind it.
If I had a boyfriend, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Rockford might be opposed to that, though. The boyfriend. Not the book.
I just finished that book last week too. While I agree that she did a great job painting the disorienting environment and the horrors of their living situation I thought the book was just a little too stereotypical, smart Asian girl works hard and makes good. The characters were all too easy, though Kim had a bit more depth. I also didn’t like the plot device with the flashback at the beginning, seemed like a cheap way to keep the audience disoriented. I did root for Kim, and it was a quick read, definitely not a bad book, but it just didn’t live up to its potential in my opinion.
I sort of felt the same way about the stereotype, until I found that the author really did live in squalor upon moving to America, and her family did work in a sweatshop. Here’s the story that pretty well changed my mind about it.
Great review on BlogHer and I LOVE your pic!!!! {hugs}