Just Jennifer

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (Riverhead Books, May 4, 2010)

I was immediately drawn into the story by the young narrator, Kimberly, and was taken by her observations that the life her aunt Paula had set up for her and her mother was nothing to be grateful for. Kimberly quickly learns how to navigate her new life, in spite of the language barrier and becomes very resourceful and is constantly amazed at the generosity of her new friends and their willingness to help. Kimberly is ashamed of the conditions under which she and her mother live, but realizes that to her true friends this makes no difference, and here again they are willing to help. As Kimberly ages and encounters more obstacles, such as her new principal accusing her of cheating on exams when she does so well, she never waivers and her voice stays true. For most of the book, Kimberly is selfless in many ways, while still doing the best she can in school for she knows this is the best way out of their situation for her mother and herself. A decision at the end of the book continues the theme of her self-reliance, and though it may bother readers at first, they soon realize that the decision was bittersweet for Kimberly and she did so out of love for many different people. A fresh new voice, Kwok deftly combines a coming of age story with an immigrant family’s tale; the result is a beautifully satisfying novel. This is Kwok’s first novel.