Kimberly finds herself trapped in the jealous grip of her mother's sister as they work for peanuts in her clothing factory (read sweatshop) to repay the expenses of their move to America that include squalid living conditions.  She initially struggles in her new school as her teacher has no empathy for his students' struggles with language, poverty, or any other hardship. Kimberly soon realizes that education is her and her mother's salvation. While she focuses on her studies which lead to her exemplary turn at an exclusive private school for gifted students, she also finds herself falling for one of the boys who works in the factory.

Kwok's beautifully written debut novel is such a refreshing take on the immigrant story. I felt like a voyeur as I watched Kimberly triumph over innumerable obstacles with an amazing unwavering determination but without some neat  bow tied ending.  The author's command of language leaps off the page in her use of colorful Chinese colloquialisms and Kimberly's early attempts at decoding many of the new English words she hears. I can't say more without obnoxious babbling. But, I am gushing over Jean Kwok's Girl In Translation.  I just adore this novel immensely and how I was allowed to become invested in such a remarkable character's life.

www.jeankwok.com

Challenges:
Women Unbound
POC Reading

I received this book from the publisher via LibraryThing.

This collection of nine short stories is my introduction to literature by a Sri Lankan author and about the island country south of India. In this collection, Gunesekera paints vivid pictures of life for Sri Lankans at home and abroad, namely those in London.

In "Batik", husband and wife, Tiru who's Tamil and Nalini who's Sinhalese, are living in London during the civil war between their respective ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. The strain of the horrific events happening thousands of miles away still have strong emotional affects on them individually and as a couple. This is probably my favorite story because there's a quiet intensity to the characters as Tiru becomes consumed by the news coverage of the civil unrest.

"Ullswater" has one of the best examples of Gunesekera's poetic descriptions: "In the evenings, in the afterglow of sunset, when parrots darted across the sky, her face would absorb light and slowly become luminous like the moon. She was a lovely girl in those days." Yet, it's a sad story of a man filled with regret over his brother's death.

"Carapace" fetures an unnamed woman who is in like with a beach cook, a man opposite the well to do one, now living in Australia, her mother has chosen for her. It, too, comes off as a story of regret.

Regret or loss seems to be what binds these stories together. I recommend it for whetting the appetite for more reads about Sri Lanka. My interest is definitely piqued.

Challenges:
South Asian Author Challenge