The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore {Review}

 

 

 

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore

ebook, 384 pages

Expected publication: September 1st 2020 by Shadow Mountain Publishing 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given

 

 

     

 

Based on true events, The Paper Daughters of Chinatown in a powerful story about a largely unknown chapter in history and the women who emerged as heroes.

In the late nineteenth century, San Francisco is a booming city with a dark side, one in which a powerful underground organization—the criminal tong—buys and sells young Chinese women into prostitution and slavery. These “paper daughters,” so called because fake documents gain them entry to America but leave them without legal identity, generally have no recourse. But the Occidental Mission Home for Girls is one bright spot of hope and help.

Told in alternating chapters, this rich narrative follows the stories of young Donaldina Cameron who works in the mission home, and Mei Lien, a “paper daughter” who thinks she is coming to America for an arranged marriage but instead is sold into a life of shame and despair.

Donaldina, a real-life pioneering advocate for social justice, bravely stands up to corrupt officials and violent gangs, helping to win freedom for thousands of Chinese women. Mei Lien endures heartbreak and betrayal in her search for hope, belonging, and love. Their stories merge in this gripping account of the courage and determination that helped shape a new course of women’s history in America.

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

I love fluffy romance stories, but every once in awhile, I crave a deeper book that's full of meaning, value, and leaves me touched. The Paper Daughters of Chinatown is real and raw, as it's based on true events. This book is all of that and more, and if historical fiction is a genre you enjoy, be sure to check this one out!

 

I had no idea how awful a lot of the conditions were in Chinatown in the early 1900s. I thought the only slaves in America were the ones brought here from Africa, but that's definitely not the case. Young girls, some even just children, were taken or families were lied to, in order to propel a drug and prostitution ring in the San Francisco area. This tale tells the story of a woman, Donaldina (aka Dolly) who works hard with a rescue mission in getting these girls out of this situation and giving them an education and place of refuge. The sad thing is, this type of horror, sex trafficking, still exists today and I know there are many foundations who are working tirelessly to rescue these girls.

 

Moore delivers a well-crafted book that is superbly written and allows to reader to dive into this time, over 100 years ago, to learn an important part of history, as well as come to know key historical figures in an intimate way. I love learning historical facts in this way and Moore is a master story teller, especially when it concerns the past. I was affected by this story and completely engrossed, both in trepidation and hope, and finished with a feeling of knowledge and power. I left wanting to do something and make a change for the present and the future, and feel if only for those reasons alone, Moore's offering is a big success.

 

Content: very mild romance; horrors of abuse, rape, prostitution, slavery (enough details to understand how bad it was, but nothing at all graphic); very mild religion