I've been unintentionally reading a lot books about the immigrant experience in America, it seems. But, Girl in Translation, another first novel, is the one that read the fastest for me. I was pulled into the story of Kim Chang and her mother, characters who escaped Hong Kong with the help of Kim's aunt (later discovered to be self-serving and heartless.)
In this rags to riches coming-of-age story, Kim and her mother are desperately poor---think roaches and rats, no heat in a New York winter, and homemade underwear. And, they must work in a vividly-described sweatshop. If the author hadn't revealed that the novel is based on her own experiences, I wouldn't have believed that such an awful place could have existed in the US in the 70's. (The only indication I picked up about time period was one reference to Watergate.)
Blessedly, Kim is academically gifted, and is able to pull herself and her mother out of poverty, and into acceptance at Yale. (The author went to Harvard.) Again, I'm not sure I would believe this American success story if the author hadn't experienced something similar.
There's a love story, and you may cheer or question Kim's decisions at the book's end. I think this title would lead to a great book club discussion, particularly as it is fast and easy to read.
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