THE PAPER DAUGHTERS OF CHINA TOWN by Heather B. Moore & Allison Hong Merrill
HARDCOVER
Authors: Heather B. Moore & Allison Hong Merrill
Powerful, inspiring, and based on a true story, THE PAPER DAUGHTERS OF CHINATOWN follows two brave young women fighting to protect immigrant girls in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 1800s. This young readers adaptation makes an important part of history accessible, heartfelt, and impossible to forget.
When Tai Choi’s father secretly sells her to pay his gambling debts, she is taken from her home in Zhejiang and shipped alone to “Gold Mountain.” Renamed Tien Fu Wu on forged papers, she enters a harsh world of servitude where she must stay silent, hidden, and obedient - or face punishment and resale.
Everything changes when she is rescued by the women of the Occidental Mission Home for Girls, a safe haven for trafficked and enslaved immigrant girls. There, Tien Fu meets Dolly Cameron, who arrives to teach sewing but quickly discovers the brutal reality these girls have escaped. What begins as mistrust slowly transforms into an unbreakable friendship as the two work together to rescue more girls and fight for justice.
Deeply moving and full of courage, this book brings to life a part of history that deserves to be remembered - and celebrates the strength, resilience, and hope of the girls who refused to be forgotten.
Why this book deserves a spot on your shelf:
- A true story of bravery, friendship, and hope
- Highlights an important, often overlooked chapter of Asian American history
- Perfect for readers who enjoyed Refugee, I Am Malala, or The Night Diary