Cover Summary:
A lyrical fantasy blending fairy tale elements with contemporary issues
Thirteen-year-old Suyin is a poor orphan who has a strange gift with languages and a mysterious connection to the cranes in her small Chinese village. When a shady human trafficker arrives promising luxury and riches beyond belief in America, the villagers elect Suyin - whom they consider lucky - to go as their benefactress. But instead of luxury, Suyin is forced to work in a sweatshop in New York City's Chinatown. Suyin's future seems hopeless, until her beloved cranes arrive and reveal that she is no ordinary girl - instead, she is the daughter of the Crane Queen. Now her mother's life is in danger, and Suyin must prove herself worthy of her position as the Crane Princess, in order to save her mother and the entire clan of cranes.
For fans of Grace Lin and Laurence Yep, this is a beautiful story of the meaning of family and finding one's true path in life.
Thirteen-year-old Suyin is a poor orphan who has a strange gift with languages and a mysterious connection to the cranes in her small Chinese village. When a shady human trafficker arrives promising luxury and riches beyond belief in America, the villagers elect Suyin - whom they consider lucky - to go as their benefactress. But instead of luxury, Suyin is forced to work in a sweatshop in New York City's Chinatown. Suyin's future seems hopeless, until her beloved cranes arrive and reveal that she is no ordinary girl - instead, she is the daughter of the Crane Queen. Now her mother's life is in danger, and Suyin must prove herself worthy of her position as the Crane Princess, in order to save her mother and the entire clan of cranes.
For fans of Grace Lin and Laurence Yep, this is a beautiful story of the meaning of family and finding one's true path in life.
An ancient Chinese myth. Labour politics in
21st-century New York. You wouldn’t expect these things to fit
together, but Annette LeBox combines them with enviable grace.
It’s the details that sell it. The writing
is as lovely and precise as her heroine’s embroidery. When Suyin transforms
into a crane, LeBox names her bones as they transform. When she remembers her
beloved mother, it’s with the exact clothes and jewelry that represent the
traditions of her culture.
Besides that, LeBox never hesitates to
challenge her heroine. Being the princess of a flock of magical bird-women in
no way excuses Suyin from having to learn things the hard way. As an
undocumented immigrant, eating rats to survive the boat ride and working in a
sweatshop to pay off her travel fees, her challenges are the sort most white
North American readers like me can barely imagine. She doesn’t always respond
heroically, either; she snaps under pressure, stays quiet when her co-workers
are bullied, and generally acts like a 13-year-old human being.
This only makes it all the more satisfying
when she does evolve into someone who can control her impulses and protect her
friends. Every success, financial and emotional, feels earned.
This may be a fantasy novel, but the most
beautiful things in it are true, and so are the most frightening.
Chinese women really did develop a secret form of writing centuries ago after being forbidden to learn men’s writing.
The villagers near Cao Hai Lake really do
protect endangered birds.
Factory owners really do exploit immigrants in North America to this day.
Shape-shifting and parallel universes are
just the icing on the cake.
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