For February 2013 Bookies (Fiction Book Club) at Crystal Lake Public Library. I thought the writing was fine but the book was rather cliche. The first half was fine but once she had the pregnancy and was off to college I thought the "twists" were quite typical and I lost interest. I did not hate it, but I would not recommend it much to anybody, except if you cannot see plot twists coming from a mile away. The author apparently based much of the first half on real life events and people, especially her brother, although the protagonist is a girl, Kimberly. I think that is why the ending becomes cliche and dies, she no longer had real life to reference for those parts. When she was referencing life in the first 1/2 to 3/4 of the book it was better written and flowed more smoothly.

This was fabulous! I admired the was Jean Kwok wrote progressively better as Kimberly became older and better educated. It was incredible to read of the hardships under which this mother and daughter lived. They had so much strength. Makes my complains so petty! Definately a "couldn't put it down" book.

I assume this story is mostly based on the author's real-life story. I found it to be very intriguing and enjoyed reading it, until it's first ending ended in a very cliche way. You'll get what I mean if you read it.

This is one of the best books I read this year - read twice - once on my own, and later with my book club! I'm hoping this author publishes another soon!

I love this book. Although depressing in the beginning, it goes on the weave a delightful story!

An interesting read about a girl from Hong Kong who grows up in New York City trying to balance school life, and work in a garment factory with her mother. Shows the power of hard work, determination, and family.

From Hong Kong to Brooklyn. Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco's book buyer, has chosen Girl in Translation as her pick of the month for November,

Once again, a wonderful debut author has made my day! Girl In Translation, by Jean Kwok is a wonderful coming of age story about a girl and her mother who emigrated from Hong Kong in the seventies. (I wonder if this is a new genre as well—immigration stories of the late 20th century!) Kim and her mom begin their journey is an awful apartment full of mice and bugs. Apparently Kim’s aunt (who helped them come to the U.S.) had promised them a place and support but once they came to America, she pretty much turned them into slave labor. (There is an old grudge that the aunt is still carrying and she basically makes her little sister’s life as miserable as she can.) They are forced to work in a sweatshop (Kim’s mom worked all day and evening, Kim worked from when she got out of school until 9 pm or so!) until all of their debts are repaid. This of course will take years. There are many hardships in the book but do not think it is a maudlin read. It is, in fact, completely uplifting. Kim has a best friend who is amazing. She falls in love with a very kind boy. She ultimately excels in school and it is her ticket to financial success. She deals with an overprotective mom, working 20 hours a day, peer pressure, power of sex, mean girls, competitive relatives and that age old feeling of “I don’t think I fit in anywhere.” I think it should be on every high school student’s required reading list. Not just because of the lessons it teaches, but because there seems to be such a universal quality of growing up. No matter where or when, adolescence seems to involve the same issues. Although this is classified as fiction, the fact that the author had also emigrated from Hong Kong during the same time period and had worked in a sweat shop and graduated from an Ivy League school made this story ring so authentic I am dying to ask the author what was fictional and what was not! This is a very fast read that was impossible to put down. I read 90% of it in one day. It is that good! Jenna

Narrated by an eleven-year-old girl, this is the inspiring story of Kimberly and her mother who make the move from Hong Kong to New York City in the 1990’s. They are leaving Hong Kong before China takes over and incorporates communist rule. However they are not prepared for the impoverished living conditions of New York City after leaving a comfortable lifestyle back home. Her mother ends up working in a textile sweatshop and has trouble learning the language and customs of the city. Kimberly must assume a leadership role in her small family to protect her mother and to get ahead in her education. We follow Kimberly’s progress as she masters the language and excels in school. Her journey is not always easy and is heartbreaking at times, but her strong spirit helps her to overcome the obstacles to succeed. Compelling coming-of-age fiction which would be interesting to teens as well as adults.

I was thrilled by this novel depciting the horrifying reality of immigrants who are absorbed into the underground economy. I love the fact that she kept her son and still succeeded in reaching her goals (sometimes these endings are necessary for the soul).