Red Skies: an emotional end to the Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters series

Red Skies is the fourth and final book in the Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series by Kay Bratt. It is the story of the three people who are brought together in amazing ways and their journey together will forever change them all. Marigold “Mari” grew up knowing struggles and hardships. She struggles to support herself and her husband, Bolin, after he has injured himself and can no longer work. One day, as she returns home on a rainy day, she sees a young girl begging on the street corner. Moved to kindness, she stops to talk to the young girl, An Ni, and offers her her jacket, only to be shooed away from a young man, a gang member. Mari walks away but she never forgets the young girl. Mari soon meets Max, an American photojournalist, who claims to be in China on assignment but seems to have a deeper mission, a personal mission. An Ni finds a way to escape the gang she has been forced to beg for. Along with a young girl, Mei, they run from the gang and hide. Soon Mari and Max will cross paths with An Ni and Mei and they will discover a peace and fulfillment that can only be described as miraculous. 

Red Skies is a beautiful ending to an amazing series. I loved the character of Mari as she struggles to support her husband, who is in pain and depressed. Her determination and drive to keep going, to love and honor her husband and survive on her own.I enjoyed Max as he was a bit of a mystery, wanting to see places that weren’t on the usual tourist list. It was easy to see that Max was a man tortured by something but what?, we don’t find out until the end. It was a beautiful moment which had me in tears. The convergence of An Ni and Mei’s story with Mari and Max’s is an example of how our paths are connected by no effort of ours but by divine providence or supernatural guidance. Ms. Bratt’s descriptions of China and the Chinese culture are beautiful and detailed. I could easily imagine the sights and sounds of the city, its marketplace and its residents. Red Skies is a beautifully, emotional story to end a great series. I was sad to say goodbye to Benfu, Calli and their amazing daughters but they will forever live and thrive in my imagination.I highly recommend Red Skies. 

Red Skies is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Read about the Zheng family

The Palest Ink (prequel)

The Scavenger’s Daughters (book 1)

Tangled Vines (book 2)

Bitter Winds (book 3)