![]() The overwhelming tension that runs through this story, the fear of anger and abuse that makes Wen keep her eyes down, the difficulty in treading a line between two cultures, is so powerfully described that I could not put this book down and had to read it all in one sitting. Then something really terrible happens, and it looks like everything is too hard. But both Wen and Henry are determined to soar like comets and burn their way out of the trap they are in. Henry’s father labours in a fruit and vegetable market, as his wife sinks into depression in front of the tv. His rage and bitterness keeps his wife and daughter living in fear, afraid of igniting his temper. Both families are Chinese migrants, struggling in their new country: Wen’s father has repeatedly failed the exams to practise as a surgeon in Australia, and is reduced to waiting tables in a Chinese restaurant. ![]() They are going to study hard and together sit the entrance exam to an amazing selective school where they’ll be able to follow their dreams and escape the poverty and the fear of their homes. Tiger daughter by Rebecca Lim Allen & Unwin, 2021. ![]()
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