Girl in Translation Summary
Kwok, Jean

Girl in Translation Overview

Jean Kwok’s novel, Girl in Translation, tells the story of Kimberly Chang and her mother’s struggle to make a life for themselves after their move from Hong Kong to the United States. The Changs are promised a good life in America by Kimberly's aunt Paula, but after they arrive, it soon becomes clear that Paula intends to employ her relatives in the factory she manages and force them to work for very little money. However, Kimberly’s skills in science and math are remarkable, and it is Kim’s talent for school and hard work that soon demonstrate that the Changs may have a way out of hardscrabble poverty in their adopted country.