Laila Ibrahim

From the bestselling author of Yellow Crocus comes a heart-wrenching story about finding strength in a new world. Southern China, 1923. Desperate to secure her future, Mei Ling's parents arrange a marriage to a widower in California. To enter the country, she must pretend to be her husband's first wife--a paper wife. On the perilous voyage, Mei Ling takes an orphan girl named Siew under her wing. Dreams of a better life in America give Mei Ling the strength to endure the treacherous journey and detainment on Angel Island. But when she finally reaches San Francisco, she's met with a surprise. Her husband, Chinn Kai Li, is a houseboy, not the successful merchant he led her to believe. Mei Ling is penniless, pregnant, and bound to a man she doesn't know. Her fragile marriage is tested further when she discovers that Siew will likely be forced into prostitution. Desperate to rescue Siew, she must convince her husband that an orphan's life is worth fighting for. Can Mei Ling find a way to make a real family--even if it's built on a paper foundation?

Paper Wife

altlovesbooks

I'm normally all about a good historical fiction novel, but this one slightly missed the mark for me. It follows Mei Ling, a dutiful daughter who becomes a 'paper wife' (someone who makes the trip to America as the wife of a westerner, adopting a false profile in order to do so) to a merchant. While it was originally meant to be her meek "rabbit" sister, Mei Ling and her "dragon" personality fill the role when her sister becomes sick and keeps it from her new husband. Together they make the journey, pass through immigration at Angel Island, and make a new home for themselves in America as they get to know one another.

It sounded like a great, interesting premise to me, but ultimately the writing just didn't do it for me. It's billed as adult fiction, however the writing style, description, and lack of any tough topics really make it feel more geared towards teenagers. The characters felt really shallow and underdeveloped, Mei Ling's husband in particular felt there just as a plot instrument and had no real impact on Mei Ling's story as far as I can tell. There also wasn't a lot of actual conflict in this book; several times the author felt like she was setting something up, only to pull away at the last second and have nothing really come of it. Finally, I'm not sure I can get behind Mei Ling's ultimate solution to the problem they face near the end. (view spoiler)[While I can get behind wanting to do anything to save your family, I'm not sure getting a guy drunk and dropping him in a river without consequence should be endorsed. (hide spoiler)] It felt abrupt and unsatisfying, kind of my feeling about this entire book.

Still, it was a quick, easy read. Definitely appropriate for teenagers or older. If you're looking for deep, reflective writing about the plight of Chinese immigrants in the early 1900s though, maybe pass this one up.

Paper Wife

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