Month: February 2017

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

When I say this is a timely story, I mean that a story about immigrants couldn’t be more appropriate for our country right now.  This beautifully told story from the immigrant child point of view is the perfect way to show the plight and process of coming to our country…legally.  And in spite of the legal route they took, it was still s struggle to come to this country.  It was still a struggle and the American Dream was not guaranteed nor was it instant.

This story is about two immigrants from Hong Kong, a young girl and her mother.  It is the retelling of their struggles in learning a new language, assimilating into a new country and culture, and the struggle to survive in a hostile environment.  These two ladies probably shouldn’t have thrived as they did but through their hard work and dedication to education, they were able to overcome the boundaries that few immigrants are able to cross successfully.

This story had an extremely grown-up point of view from its teenage narrator.  Due to the language barrier, Kim becomes the adult with the weight of success and survival on her shoulders.  Where or when Kim decides to take on the burden of getting herself and her mother out of poverty and servitude, is really only concurrent with their arrival in Brooklyn.  It seems that Kim’s mother was a great provider in Hong Kong even after her father’s death.  But the change in cultural and societal status, forces Kim and her mother to change roles.

I really felt that the author left me with more questions than answers in the end.  I realize it is loosely based on her own experiences but I really felt that she could have created a better life for Kim’s mother by cultivating her musical talents.  Couldn’t she have given private music lessons to make extra money?  I feel like the mother’s talent was highlighted and then quickly forgotten. I think more could have come from that and then maybe their struggle wouldn’t have been for so long and the burden would have been less on Kim.

Although this book was thought provoking and entertaining for 90% of the book, I found that the last chapter and Epilogue did not have the same tone as the rest of the novel.  I was disappointed in the ending.  Maybe it was the author’s choice to make the end disjointed but I felt that it was an injustice to the two main characters.  Maybe it was what happened in real life but it didn’t seem to stay true to the rest of the book.

Did you feel desperate for Kim and her mother to change their lot in life?

What (in your opinion) could Kim and her mother have done differently to change their living situation?

Why do you think the aunt was so cruel?  Was it jealousy or was it retaliation for forcing her to marry the American?

Why didn’t Kim’s mother fight back?  Do you feel that most immigrants don’t want to “rock the boat”?

Even though Kim and her mother were legally citizens of the U.S., why were they so afraid to go out on their own?  Why were they so dependent on the aunt to provide their housing and work?

What did you think if the book in its entirety?  How did you feel about the ending?

Do you feel that Kim was lucky in all the educational opportunities that came her way?  Or do you think it was simply her talent that gave her those opportunities?

What did you think about Kim’s “mistake”?  Were you disappointed?  What would you have done in her situation?  Was her mother’s reaction appropriate?