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Hello, my name is Kelly and I welcome you to the Bookend Diaries book blog. I created this blog to share my own reviews of existing and new books, to discuss with other readers what we’re currently reading, update you on my book club picks, and of course, to ultimately support the work of the authors we all enjoy. I am addicted to reading and I thought this would be a great way to reach out to other readers who are as obsessed with books as I am.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Girl In Translation by: Jean Kwok



***Received an advance copy courtesy Riverhead Books

Synopsis

Introducing a fresh, exciting Chinese-American voice, an inspiring debut about an immigrant girl forced to choose between two worlds and two futures. When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life-like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family's future resting on her shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition-Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles. Through Kimberly's story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated from Hong Kong as a young girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires, exposing a world that we rarely hear about. Written in an indelible voice that dramatizes the tensions of an immigrant girl growing up between two cultures, surrounded by a language and world only half understood, Girl in Translation is an unforgettable and classic novel of an American immigrant-a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.

My Review Comments:

Dreams do really come true even without a Prince Charming at the end. Girl In Translation describes the life of Kimberly Chang, a Chinese girl who emigrated from Hong Kong with her Mother when she was only 11 years old to a promising life in America, where all dreams are possible as long as you wish for them, they will come true. But, everything isn’t as it seems. Instead of living the American dream, Kimberly is torn between two worlds that don’t seem to fit her. There are some twists that happen at the end of the book too. Sometimes true happiness is fighting through obstacles with perseverance to become who you were always meant to be. I really enjoyed this book and to me it was a modern day fairytale that came to live throughout the pages. I would highly recommend it.

14 comments:

  1. Hello Kelly! Just found you via Kathy (Creative Expressions) and love your blog...I love to read and so appreciate some direction on book choosing!

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  2. Sounds like a great read!!! Thanks for the suggestion :)

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  3. I really want to read this one - I think it sounds great and your review confirmed this! I love that cover too!

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  4. Thanks for visiting my blog! Wish I had time to read more! I'll be back to read some of your reviews for my summer reading.

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  5. Welcome and thank you! Nice review!

    Bill ;-)

    Author of "Back to the Homeplace"
    http://eduscapes.com/v2a/back_to_the_homeplace.html
    Hope you'll check out my book giveaway:
    http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-giveaway-moonlight-falls.html
    http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/

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  6. This looks like an excellent book. You wrote a great review. I am definitely going to look it up.

    Thanks for popping over to my blog today!

    xoxo
    jane

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  7. you read books with such beautiful covers, your blog looks like a work of art. several books to add to my wish list.

    dollycas

    http://dollycas.blogspot.com/

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  8. Kelly, thank you for finding my blog because I love yours!! The background is beautiful and I love Audrey. I can't wait to read more of your reviews.

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  9. Hi Kelly, you found me and led me to such a beautiful blog! Have a great weekend!

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  10. This sounds like a beautiful story. I've been interested in this one for awhile. I am glad you enjoyed the book. I love the cover.

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  11. Hi Kelly: Thanks for stopping by my blog...it led to me yours! I love your layout - Audrey Hepburn has always been a favorite of mine! I see that we have similar interests in books and I look forward to reading your reviews. I am now a follower!

    Enjoy your weekend!
    ~Kristin at Always With a Book

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  12. Thank you! Another great book to add to my TBR list!
    Love, Hannah

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  13. Hello! I'm stopping in on the Hop! I really enjoyed this review - you have a great style! I'm following you and looking forward to your future posts! If you're interested, you can check out my blog here =)

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  14. This book sounds very sweet, beautiful cover and great title... I feel like I need a translator some days! :)

    PS: Great blog, just became a follower!

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