Pearl is keeping a secret. She is afraid to tell her mother that she has multiple sclerosis, a degenerative nerve disease with no cure. Pearl’s mother, Winnie, has her own secrets. She is haunted by a difficult past which she has kept buried for many years. The only person who knows of both secrets is Aunt Helen. One day, Helen tells Winnie and Pearl that she has a brain tumor. She says that before she dies she wants no more secrets. She makes them promise to tell each other everything that they have been hiding. So Winnie begins to tell Pearl about her past life in China, a life that she tried so hard to forget…
I enjoyed this book. Winnie has a very distinct and likable personality that shows throughout her storytelling. The author does a very good job describing certain Chinese family interactions and aspects of Chinese culture. Like Pearl, I have Chinese heritage but was born in America, and I can relate to many of the family dynamics and uncomfortable moments that she describes.
Review written by Jacqueline, Grade 10
