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Girl in Translation
Girl in Translation | Jean Kwok
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.Watch a Video
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suvata
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Pickpick

• TBR since August 12, 2019

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 novel of an American immigrant -- a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.

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iread2much
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed reading this, until the end of the book. but the main character was kind of irritating once she became a teen, which I suppose tracks. I HATED the ending.
Kim and her mom are brought over by their aunt and put into work at their uncle‘s factory. Kim pushes herself and excels at school but must decide between her roots in Chinatown and the opportunity outside it.
2/5 stars

Leftcoastzen That face! 🐶👏 2y
iread2much @Leftcoastzen he‘s the cutest! 2y
20 likes2 comments
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megnews This was a great pick. Thanks for hosting. 3y
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julieclair I wanted their relationship to work so badly. But Kim wanted to rise up out of poverty, while Matt was content to live a working class life. I think she didn't tell him about their son because she was afraid she would cave to the pressure and end up marrying him, thus ending her dreams of becoming a doctor. I think she should have told him, though. He had a right to know. 3y
sblbooks @julieclair Agreed. I understand Kim wanted to be a doctor, but I feel like if she loved Matt, they could have made it work. Regardless, she should have told him about their son. The ending was a disappointment for me. 3y
julieclair @sblbooks I agree about being disappointed with the ending. In fact, I was even disappointed with Kim, and didn't want to be, because I had admired her so much throughout the book. 3y
megnews Agree about the disappointment. I think I can understand. She was right about believing she‘d resent Matt if she didn‘t reach her full potential. 3y
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megnews School holds a host of complications but ultimately helps her. 3y
sblbooks Kim was very intelligent but didn't always realize it. She didn't have anyone at home that could help her learn a new language. And Paula was always bringing up her shortcomings. Yes @megnews it wasn't easy, but education ultimately did allow her to overcome poverty. 3y
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megnews We can‘t blame Kim for keeping the secret. Growing up is hard enough. She already had enough obstacles without the fear of that humiliation. Annette respected her wishes so had no way to know. 3y
megnews I was so glad Kim had her. 3y
sblbooks @megnews I agree. I understand why Kim didn't tell anyone about her situation. It's said that she felt like she couldn't trust anyone with the truth. I feel like that's why they grew apart towards the end of the story. 3y
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julieclair I'm assuming Paula's motivation was jealousy, because she had sacrificed a lot for Ma in their early life. But nothing justified her treatment of Ma and Kim. 3y
sblbooks @julieclair Bob and Paula set them up in a condemned apartment building, every month they find more things to deduct from ma's pay. This makes it virtually impossible to live, much less ever pay Paula back for bringing them to America. Paula resents her sister for not marrying Bob but she was supposed to. She married the love of her life and Paula resents her for it. 3y
julieclair @sblbooks Yes. She resents that Ma married the love of her life. And Paula ended up with Bob... Which all in all, seems like Paula got a pretty decent deal... She got to come to America and seems to have plenty of money. She is just a bitter, unlikable person. I don't understand why Ma continues to be so nice to her. 3y
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megnews @julieclair probably very strong cultural beliefs about respect for elders. 3y
megnews Paula is miserable and she‘s going to make others suffer too. She‘s also very greedy. 3y
julieclair @megnews I hadn't thought about the culture of respect. That makes sense. I am so glad that in the end, Kim was able to provide a nice life for Ma. She certainly deserved it. 3y
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julieclair The poverty and working conditions they faced on arrival were shocking. Almost impossible to believe. I had no idea working conditions like that still existed in the US. Ma's sister Paula was despicable. How could anyone treat their own family that way? 3y
sblbooks @julieclair just imagine how shocked Ma and Kim were, they never would have come if they had known the truth. I can't comprehend how you could treat your own family that way. It's human trafficking plain and simple. Aunt Paula and Uncle Bob were true villains. 3y
megnews Roach infested, unheated apartment. The way she counted how much everything cost by the number of pieces they made broke my heart. 3y
sblbooks @megnews 😢💔 3y
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megnews
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Pickpick

Quite the coming of age/American Dream story. Reminiscent in many ways of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Looking forward to #overbookedclub discussion.

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sblbooks
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megnews I‘ll be working but I‘ll join in as soon as possible. 3y
29 likes1 comment
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sblbooks
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Pickpick
Butterfinger I plan to join. 3y
katy4peas I‘ll try! 😊 3y
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Readswithcoffee
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book. The relationships seemed realistic. Has the feel of a memoir without the whiny aspect I detest in most real memoirs😂

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Pinta
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Mehso-so

Ugh—the ending. A straightforward, honest mother-daughter immigrant story from Hong Kong to Brooklyn shifts tone into unexpected melodrama, character consistency upended. Class, language, friendship, ambition, family jealousy, labor, adolescence, NYC. Clear, compelling prose & Kim is a strong character, but the ending took it down for me. Ends are hard, but this ain‘t it. 2011

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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Kim and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to NYC, ending up in a human trafficking situation and abject poverty. This story reads as though it is Kim‘s memoir of growing up and is mostly fantastic. There‘s a plot point thrown in near the end that cheapens the book and I wish it hadn‘t been included, but I otherwise found this incredibly compelling.

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violabrain
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Pickpick

I loved this book! A coming of age story, a love story, and an immigrant story. It‘s both sweet and bittersweet, heavy and light, serious and funny. Like others have said, it reads like a memoir. Great book!

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suffisaunce
Pickpick

I found this book compelling in its first person description of the immigrant experience--indeed, it moved me to tears at times. The last 1/3 was more jarring in terms of going a bit soap opera--we could have used another 100 pages or so to flesh things out--but the care and fluency in the writing, coupled with the touching relationship between mother and daughter, makes this one a pick if a light read.

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TerriGreen
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Pickpick

Loved this character driven, coming of age, immigration story. It read like a memoir. 4⭐️ #2020book6

Tracyantoon That one is on my short list for audiobooks. So glad you liked it! Can‘t wait to read it now! 5y
9 likes1 comment
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Alfrazier21
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#7Days7Covers - Day 1

Thanks for the tag @ravenlee

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MrBook
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Replenishments for my #BooksToFilm Display 😁!

Have you read any of these?!

#LitsyLovesLibraries #MrBooksDisplays

Carissa-Green-Reads I just read Bel Canto last year, and I LOVED it. Same with Crazy Rich Asians, which was much more fun than I ever anticipated. 5y
75 likes1 comment
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mvegabec
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Celebrating our freedom with two of my loves by the pool; my son and a great book. Thanks @LaraReads 😁😘

LaraReads Looks wonderful!! Hope you have been having a blessed day! 💕 5y
12 likes1 comment
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Headinherbooks_27
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"..fates are winds that blow through our lives from every angle, urging us along the paths of time. Those who are strong-willed may fight the storm and possibly choose their own road, while the weak must go where they are blown... At the time when it seemed that everything I‘d ever wanted was finally within reach, I made a decision that changed the trajectory of the rest of my life."

The beginning sounds interesting already. ?

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everfree7
Pickpick

I enjoyed it. What a bittersweet ending.

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everfree7

Enjoying this novel except for the horrid aunt

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everfree7
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Forgot my other book at my parents‘ so I found one on my bookshelf I‘ve never read.

Jerdencon I really liked this one! 6y
everfree7 I‘m getting close to done! 6y
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Jerdencon
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Excellent book!!! Loved it from beginning to end!

Alfrazier21 I absolutely loved this one!!! 6y
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PacingTheCage
Pickpick

Book club book and surprisingly good.

Smrloomis I was also surprised by this; I thought it was really good as well. 6y
15 likes1 comment
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readtheworld
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I never hear anyone talking about this absorbing coming-of-age novel. It follows a young girl named Kim, who immigrates to New York with her mother and faces the difficulty of living in two worlds — on one side her family‘s crushing poverty and, on the other, the easy life she sees her new classmates living.

#undertheradar #24in48 #readathon #comingofage #bookrec

mrp27 I agree, this was a good one! 6y
Paula3 This was outstanding & I walked around recommending it to everyone a few years ago ❤ 6y
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erzascarletbookgasm
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A coming-of-age story about Kimberly and her mother, who are immigrants from Hong Kong in search for a better life in America.
#readingwomenmonth #immigrantstory

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Smrloomis
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Pickpick

Just finished this and really enjoyed it. Good coming-of-age novel about a #Chinese immigrant and her mother, who move from Hong Kong and struggle to survive in New York City. #LitsyAtoZ2018 @BookishMarginalia

Chelsea.Poole I love this book! I wish more people knew about it. 7y
Smrloomis @Chelsea.Poole agreed! I only bought it because it was a Kindle deal I think. I ended up really liking it! 7y
dragondrool I really liked this one as well. 7y
Smrloomis @dragondrool 👍🏽 I was thinking of reading her next one too at some point ... 7y
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Smrloomis
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On the other hand, this description is entirely believable. Using your second or third language - especially when you‘re not at a high level - is exhausting!

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Smrloomis
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I‘m enjoying this, but I‘m not quite sure I believe the cluelessness of her teachers. They live in New York and this student has clearly just come from outside the country. It‘s hard to believe they wouldn‘t have any idea of the difficulties for her - especially when her English is obviously so limited.

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Smrloomis
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“Little heart‘s stem” seems like a sweet way to address one‘s kid. I wonder if it is a real Chinese expression. If anyone knows, I‘d be interested to hear more 🤔. My inexpert googling didn‘t bring up anything helpful!

BooksAtNight In Chinese there is a word “心肝宝贝” that loosely translates to “baby of my heart and liver” with a similar connotation as “darling” or “precious”. Not sure if that‘s what the author was referencing to though :) 7y
Smrloomis @BooksAtNight thanks! Either way it‘s very cute 😁 7y
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BraintreeBookworm

GIRL IN TRANSLATION - Enjoyable read about the immigrant experience. I wish the ending had been done differently, but it didn‘t ruin the experience.

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erzascarletbookgasm
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Kimberly and her mother arrived from Hong King to NYC. The days are long and the work is endless. Her mother couldn‘t possibly keep up with her work at the factory alone, so Kimberly shuffled between middle school and the sweatshop, helping as much as she can.
The novel takes you behind the stereotypes of Asian immigrants, it looks at the immigrant experience of two Chinese women in the 1980s.
#fiercefeb #sheworkshardforthemoney @Cinfhen @batsy

batsy Nice! I've heard so much about this book, thanks for the reminder. 7y
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KGlibrarian
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Pickpick

I could not put this book down! Kwok takes readers into the unimaginably difficult lives of Kimberly Chang and her mother, recent immigrants from Hong Kong. The story perfectly captures the teenage/immigrant experience in pre-cell phone/social media Brooklyn.

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Kerrbearlib
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I got to model for my library‘s most recent #BookFaceFriday, yay! I am excited to read this book! - Photo credit Portland Public Library

RaimeyGallant Love this! 7y
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Ange44
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Pickpick

I loved this beautiful novel about a girl and her mother who immigrate to the U.S. from Hong Kong. A wonderful story about the hardships facing immigrants, set in New York.

Notafraidofwords What did you think of the ending ? 7y
Ange44 @Notafraidofwords I was happy that she followed her dreams, but I was a bit sad that she didn't tell Matt about the son. 7y
18 likes2 comments
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booksandmunches
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My next read! For the interested bookworms: I'm starting my own book blog. Feel free to check it out! First review will come up soon! Booksandmunches.wordpress.com

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MallenNC
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A friend asked for suggestions of women writers so I got a little carried away! These were my suggestions, which I'm saving here for future use. What other books would you all suggest? #womenauthors #booksuggestions

Lcsmcat Anything by Margaret Atwood: also Ann Patchett, Jane Smiley, and Carol Shields 8y
MallenNC @Lcsmcat Oh I should've have said Margaret Atwood. I'm hoping my friend knows about her! I do love Ann Patchett's Patron Saint of Liars and Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres. I need to check out Carol Shields, I'm not familiar with her work. 8y
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Leigh0906
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Some of these have been on my #TBR for longer than others, but eventually I'll get to all of them! #immigrantsong #rockinmay

Cinfhen I keep wondering about Girl in Translation...hope you get to it one day soon... 8y
booksandmunches @Cinfhen I thought it was absolutely fantastic. 7y
Cinfhen Thanks @booksandmunches 💞💞💞 7y
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JennaRoot
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Pickpick

This one started a little slow for me but once I was connected to the story I found all kinds of excuses to keep my headphones in. My coworkers probably think I was working really hard on a project, lol! As for the book, it left me grateful and also heartbroken.

Notafraidofwords The ending is a WTF! 8y
JennaRoot @Notafraidofwords lol yes, definitely not a happily ever after romance ending. 8y
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imajod
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Sunday afternoon. My choice for the book by or about an immigrant in the #bookriot #readharderchallenge2017.

MrBook Nice pic! 8y
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estellasrevenge
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Currently listening. #audiobook

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Smrloomis
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Just bought this. Let's see how it is - after my work that is 😬

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Lauren_reading
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If you haven't read this one - it's on sale and an awesome book!

Alicia Co sign for sure! 8y
Notafraidofwords Co sign !! 8y
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EmilyAnne
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Pickpick

Really liked this one! It explores the life of a mother and daughter who have come to New York from Hong Kong, who work in a sweat shop to get by and slowly try to better their position in life. The main character was strong and independent, this was a good start to #24in48 ! 😊

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EmilyAnne
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Addie is still confused about why she needs to pose with books 😂 getting started on the #24in48 readathon tonight, since I have the house to myself and have to do some home improvement projects tomorrow. Only a little ways into this one, but I'm liking it so far 🤓

Notafraidofwords Be prepared: this book will break you 8y
EmilyAnne @Notafraidofwords oh no!! I didn't think it'd be a cheery read, but thanks for the warning! 8y
Notafraidofwords @EmilyAnne I mean, it was emotional for me. 8y
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