Tiger Daughter, by Rebecca Lim

     Sometimes I happen upon a book I wasn't aware of, and then, if luck is with me, the book I happen upon is a good one! That is the case with Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim. I admit I have not read any other books by this author, although it seems she has about 20 titles to her credit. She is Australian, which helped make this story even better because when I read books by authors from other places in the world, the language has some variety to it, and they sometimes approach common topics with a different eye (or pen!). All of this fits this book, and this author.

    Tiger Daughter is the story of Wen Zhou, a daughter of immigrant parents from China living in Australia who is trying to fit in and survive middle school alongside another immigrant boy, Henry. Wen's father is so strict and overbearing it is almost unbelievable at first, probably because, as a reader, I didn't want to believe a parent could be so controlling and cruel. As I read farther, I realized I was feeling a lot of what Wen must have been feeling, and at that point I was hooked in this story! She supports Henry in a way that is also beneficial to her own mental survival, and agrees to participate in an exam that could land them both in a school that would surely change their lives for the better, and give them a future that they don't see day to day being who and where they are.

    It's difficult to explain this story, sort of like some of my favorite A.S. King books, but I found that I couldn't put it down. Even a week after finishing the book Wen stays in my mind and I find myself rooting for her, and remembering that she is just a book character, not an actual human in my world. That, my friends, is the sign of a good book! The writing reminds me of some of my favorite realistic fiction storytellers; Sharon Creech and the late Patricia Riley Giff both come to mind. If this genre is something you enjoy or are open to, read this. You won't be disappointed! 5 paws!