This is a beautiful read ......, set in Hong Kong during the time of China"s Cultural Revolution, with Chaiman Mao's Red Guards everywhere.... also, the Vietnam War looming in the background. It was innteresting to read about and see some of the the effects of all this on the lives of the people living there.

The story is told from the point of view of one of the "white ghost girls" - Kate, the younger sister - "white ghost", being the name the Chinese used for the Europeans when they first appeared in China. The language is such that you can almost taste, smell and feel everything that is happening there. The author grew up in Hong Kong. This is her first novel.

(I have plans for this book!)

The book has very short chapters and only 168 pages. It moves along very quickly.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book has started it's journey to a very special person on the other side of the world. Happy travelling, little book!

So so excited to come back today to a lovely squashy parcel all the way from Oz - and what delights there were inside it too! Not one, but TWO wishlist books. And it's not even my birthday! Thanks so much Carole, how did you know I had nothing to read?! ;0)

I actually started this one ages ago then being the magpie that I am, something else caught my eye and this little book was left by the wayside for a bit. Well by my bedside to be totally accurate. Enough of my ramblings. I did enjoy it especially the setting as I've been to Hong Kong a few times and recognised some of the places but a couple of the characters irritated me, Frankie in particular and to some extent the mother and the father. I liked the amah though. This one is destined for the-pilots-wife who spends half her life in Hong Kong on a boat drinking chilled glasses of wine :)

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Hello, thank you for being curious enough to visit Bookcrossing!

Even if this isn't your kind of book and you don't intend to read it I'd appreciate it if you would make a journal entry of some sort. Maybe you could say where you found it (they don't always stay where they were originally left!) or what you think of the idea of travelling books.

Then, leave it for someone else to find. And don't forget, if you make release notes (to say where you've left it, and when) next time it's journalled you'll hear from it too! If you decide to join please say that house-elfdobby sent you - many thanks and happy Bookcrossing!

Sending this one off to the-pilots-wife as I think she will enjoy it being a Hong Kong type of girl.

It's arrived!