Friday 16 October 2015

Review of The Lost Girl by Liz Harris - Five *


Blurb:

What if you were trapped between two cultures? 

Life is tough in 1870s Wyoming. But it’s tougher still when you’re a girl who looks Chinese but speaks like an American. 

Orphaned as a baby and taken in by an American family, Charity Walker knows this only too well. The mounting tensions between the new Chinese immigrants and the locals in the mining town of Carter see her shunned by both communities. 

When Charity’s one friend, Joe, leaves town, she finds herself isolated. However, in his absence, a new friendship with the only other Chinese girl in Carter makes her feel like she finally belongs somewhere. 

But, for a lost girl like Charity, finding a place to call home was never going to be that easy … 







Review:

Wow! This book took me all over the place emotionally! Liz describes Wyoming post gold rush so well, I felt as if I was there! And her sensitive handling of the race problems between the white americans and the chinese was remarkable!

I felt so very sorry for Charity - she was Chinese by birth but had been brought up as an American and consequently did not fit in either group. The day she started school had me in tears.

Liz builds the tension towards the end. Who will Charity marry? And what will happen if she chooses Joe? And if she chooses Chen Fai, what will happen to Joe? I couldn't see a solution that didn't end in some sort of violence. Luckily Liz could!






1 comment:

  1. Many thanks for your lovely review, Ann. I so enjoyed writing the novel that I'm thrilled you enjoyed reading it. I found the history of the US during this period absolutely fascinating, and was quite surprised how little fiction there is that has been set against this background.

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