The Fire Horse Girl by K. Honeyman
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G20S3QAbstract
Honeyman, Kay. The Fire Horse Girl. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books - Scholastic Inc, 2013. Ebook.
What would you do if you had a chance to be free? In the novel, The Fire Horse Girl, the protagonist Jade Moon dreams of escaping her traditional Chinese household where it seems she can do nothing right. Born in the Year of the Fire Horse, a particularly bad year for girls to be born, Jade Moon is destined to bring tragedy to her family, or so she has been raised to believe. When a visitor comes to the small village of Jinjiu on the last day of the Year of the Water Dog, February 15, 1923, Jade Moon’s life changes forever.
Sterling Moon has come with a proposal for Jade Moon’s father: come to America, and save your family from poverty and subsistence. As with all decisions in the household, Jade Moon is never consulted, but finds herself traveling first to Hong Kong, and then America. The promises of a new land and the supposed freedoms it offer are intoxicating, and author Kay Honeyman does an excellent job of helping the reader feel the anticipation and excitement that Jade Moon experiences. When not everything goes as planned, the reader is completely enthralled in Jade Moon’s attempts to get out of trouble alive.
This is a story of immigration, racism, culture shock, traditions held onto and traditions torn away; a story of China and America in the past, with so much to teach the reader about the ramifications for the present and future. The author has created a world that is easy to fall into, and hard to forget.
Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars
Reviewer: Erin Graas
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