Girl in Translation

GIRL IN TRANSLATION, a book i purchased from the store opened my eyes to the plight of many imigrants, in debt for their passage to the u.s and extremely hard working though their salaries seldom show their efforts. The characters in this book mimic the experiences of the author and her family. It shows what determination and caring can accomplish.

Facing seldom imagined obstacles, an eleven year old girl from Hong Kong takes on life's challenges. Neither language barriers,racial prejudices or abject poverty can stop our prodigy from realizing her true potential.
Her spirit seems to exclaim 'I am what I am', 'Yes I can is the answer'.
Read how this affirmation of human courage can bring a gift of unusual intelligence to fulfillment.
You Go Girl!

This book was very well written. It made me aware of the plight many immigrants are in when they first come to the USA,, EXPECTING A BETTER AND EASIER LIFE THAN THEY LEFT BEHIND, and often find themselves enslaved by the very people who were supposed to help them. I am sure these things are still going on today!
However, the book shows that it is possible to rise above and eventually succeed in achieving one's goals.
It is a sad, but uplifting book.

This book was absolutely incredible!! It was the first book that I really and truly showed emotion reading it! It was absolutely amazing!! It made me realize how lucky I was to have had the things I had growing up. After reading this book I realized how much I used to take for granted. After reading the book I had a whole new perspective on society and life in general. I give this book a 5 plus stars!! Jean Kwok is an extraordinary writer!!

This is a very readable book about a young Chinese girl and her mother who are brought to the U.S.by her aunt and uncle to work in a sweatshop. They have many hardships, but fortunately Kimberly is a genius who eventually gets them to a better place. Her life introduces us to what other people have to endure when they have no one to advocate for them.

The story of an amazing woman who survives and thrives in totally adverse conditions, told compellingly in this book. The mother and daughter team are amazing and their story heartbreaking for those who care about how we are treated. As a teacher, I was especially appalled at how the education system treated her but she was so intelligent that she was able to do well in spite of her school.

Although the story was quite interesting and the characters even more so, for some reason I didn't find myself filled with that feeling of "can't wait to get back to the book." I did finish it and am glad I did but it just didn't "grab" me. I'm not sure why except I had just finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and any book after that would have paled in comparison. In Girl in Translation, the young protagonist, Kim, was just too darn smart and capable to be believable and her relationship with Matt reminded me of the romance movies I watched as a little girl that taught me all the wrong messages about unfulfilled love.

This book gives you a new prospective on immigaration into america. I was surprised and saddened while reading this book. I hope everyone who reads this gains a new perspective on judging others by appearances and asking questions that could help others.

Good insight into the immigrant worker sweatshop situation. Wonder if this still exists to that degree in Chinatown? Kimberley's success beyond all odds should be an inspiration to those in similar situations.

Very good story detailing the struggles of a newly emigrated Chinese girl. The struggles she goes through as well as the universal feeling of awkwardness and excitement as you fall in love was very bitter sweet.

I became totally immersed in the resolve of some of the characters to work towards a better existence while others were content with a simpler life. I particularly liked Kimberly's view and description of those different than she.

I enjoyed reading Ms Kwok's novel which was loosley based on her own life because I always like success stories. Having lived in NYC and seen how the immigrants live in sub-standard housing I could almost believe her tale of living in the ghetto. I think it was somewhat exaggerated to live in a building without windows and heat yet have gas to cook with. Also traveling on the subway alone while still in elementary school seemed a little farfetched. Perhaps I give the school district and NY's Port Authority more credit to protect minors. Never the less, there were a lot of gaps in the story and the motorcycle got our entire bookclub questioning the validity of it all. Anyone who worked so hard at becoming a doctor should concentrate on her patients.

Girl in Translation is beautifully written. One can almost feel everything that Kim is feeling/seeing. This is a book about poverty, but about two characters that stood up to poverty with strength and hard work. This is one of those books that is hard to put down.

The story was compelling and the characters were very real. It was an easy read, but hard to put down. We look forward to her next novel. I would recommend this book to any woman, as it's the story of a girl's life.

I read this book because it was a school requirement. Usually, required books are always hard for me to read simply because I have to read then. But, Girl in Translation was an exception. I was shocked, saddened, happy, overwhelmed, etc. throughout the story. What an amazing book! I am thrilled to have read it!