Jean Kwok was born in Hong Kong and emigrated to Brooklyn, New York as a child. She received her bachelor's degree from Harvard and completed an MFA in fiction at Columbia University. After working as an English teacher and Dutch-English translator at Leiden University in the Netherlands, Jean now writes full-time. This is her first novel.
Warm, affecting, a compelling pleasure. Manages that rare fictional feat of shifting forever the angle from which you look at the world Daily Mail A sensitively handled rites-of-passage account ... has the unmistakable ring of authenticity Metro Deceptively delicate ... the stumbling endurance of Kimberley, the bond between mother and daughter, and the clever use of Chinese culture and tradition make for more than a salutary read Guardian Incredibly honest and powerful, written with unflinching directness ... a truly amazing story that'll leave you full of admiration and affection for the characters Easy Living Engagingly narrated, irresistible Independent Astonishing Vogue