Sips n' Stories Book Club (The Paper Daughters of Chinatown)

Join us on Zoom for a drink and book discussion. We'll make a cocktail and then discuss The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore (or bring a drink of your choice).

The e-book and audiobook are available on Libby and the book is available at the library.

Summary: In the late nineteenth century, San Francisco is a booming city with a dark side, one where a powerful underground organization-the criminal tong-buys and sells young Chinese women into prostitution and slavery. These "paper daughters," so called because fake documents gain them entry to America but leave them without legal identity, generally have no recourse. But the Occidental Mission Home for Girls is one bright spot of hope and help. Told in alternating chapters, this rich narrative follows the stories of young Donaldina "Dolly" Cameron, who works in the mission home, and Mei Lien, a "paper daughter" who thinks she is coming to America for an arranged marriage but instead is sold into a life of shame and despair. Dolly, a real-life pioneering advocate for social justice, bravely fights corrupt officials and violent gangs, helping to win freedom for thousands of Chinese women. Mei Lien endures heartbreak and betrayal in her search for hope, belonging, and love. Their stories merge in this gripping account of the courage and determination that helped to shape a new course of women's history in America.

Zoom meeting details will be emailed to you when you register. Must be 21 or older.

Upcoming Meeting: If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio - Thursday, July 3 at 6 pm.