Girl In Translation

The Book: Girl In Translation

The Author: Jean Kwok

The Dealio: This is your basic innocent in the promised land type story:9 year old Ah-Kim ( 'Kimberly') comes to America via the generosity (HA!) of her mom's older sister (AKA Dog mama). In unbelievably negative circumstances, they find themselves working at least 15 hours a day at subsistence ('piece work') wages, in incredibly depressed situations. Constantly undermined by relatives who show only their 'dark selves', Ah-Kim and her mother struggle to survive, then find that the expression 'quality of life' can mean merely having enough money to buy underwear, instead of having home-made undies.

The Grading Session: 4.298 pengies out of 5. This book would have earned about 0.992 more pengies, had the editor spent just 30 minutes more snipping and sprucing. I loveloveloved this novel, but, by the last 1/3rd, I grew impatient. One after another bad thing befell our heroine and her family, and we relied-just a skosh, mind you- on circumstance and coincidence.

Lessons Learned: An indomitable spirit counts far more in both the promised land and the long run- than talent and book larnin'. Also this: there is NOTHING like a scrappy, down-on-her-luck- plucky heroine to bring us all over to the side of the protagonist.
Lastly: reunions are not always all they are cracked up to be. Sometimes, they are just an excuse for people to come together and air dirty laundry. I mean...who needs that!? Really.