TIGER DAUGHTER

In this award-winning Australian import, a young Chinese immigrant fights to forge her own path, inspiring change in her loved ones in the process.

Thirteen-year-old Wen Zhou feels stuck in an insular world, kept in motion by equal parts rage and fear. Having been a medical doctor in China, her father bitterly resents managing a restaurant. Ruling with an iron fist, he places unreasonably high expectations on Wen and her mother. A recent Chinese immigrant to Australia, Wen’s best friend, Henry Xiao, has his own share of struggles. With fierce determination, he convinces her that they can escape their circumstances by entering a prestigious school on the other side of town. Just two weeks before the entrance exams, however, tragedy befalls Henry’s family. To support her friend and keep their dream alive, Wen must have the courage to take risks and be resilient enough for the two of them. Lim weaves a powerful and empathetic account of the complex struggles of the immigrant experience from a child’s perspective. Tough topics like poverty, grief, and domestic abuse are explored with poignant honesty and sensitivity. Despite the harsh realities faced by the characters, the book hums with an infectious sense of hope that is bound to empower readers who see themselves in Wen.

Tough but uplifting and, above all, heartfelt.