Kimberly and her Mother left Hong Kong before the handover in 1997. They followed Aunt Paula (Mother's older sister) to America, where they look after Paula's children and work in the sweatsho neither speaks English.

At the factory she meets Matt, learns about the indignation of piece payment, unfamiliar vocabulary (in italics), surviving in a derelict home, and making the best of what life has to offer. It was also really interesting to read Kim's journey straddling access to two different cultures, whilst honouring her own heritage.

Some of the story hit home a lot: adultification, being parentified, a certain type of resilience which Immigrants can only understand.

I love Kimberly, her Ma, Annette, Mrs Avery, Curt, and everyone who looked beyond the surface.

The quotes which left a afterlife
- "The size of his hands - cupping my child's elbow, my elbow. That was a heroic hand, a hand that would take over a heavy plow, a hand to save you from demons and muggers...this was my pa"

- "For years I calculated whether or not something was expensive by how many skirts it cost, since we were paid 1.5cents per skirt...a package of gum cost 7 skirts, a hot dog was 50skirts, a new toy could cost in the range of 300 to 2000 skirts"

- "She asked me what I didn't after school, I told her I worked at the factory...the next day she told me it was a silly thing to say as children didn't work in factories in America [according to her Father]...but that day I began to understand that there was a part of my life that should remain hidden".

- "A bamboo door needs needs a bamboo door, a metal door needs a metal door.."