Tangled Vines: the continued story of the Zheng family

Tangled Vines by Kay Bratt is the second book in The Scavenger’s Daughters series. The story opens with Li Jin and her 10 year old son, Jojo, at the mercy of Erik, an abusive South African man. At first, Erik was charming and swept her off her feet but soon his true nature reared its ugly head and after 30 years of living with cruel foster families, a bleak orphanage and life on the streets, Li Jin feels she has nowhere else to go. Meanwhile in Benfu and Calli are content to watch their six adopted daughters blossom into young women. But when information about the whereabouts of their biological daughter, who was stolen from them so many years ago, comes to them, the frantic search to find their beloved Dahlia begins. Will Li Jin finally find the strength and courage to leave behind the abusive situation? Will Benfu and Calli finally find their beloved daughter? 

Tangled Vines is a beautifully haunting story about the lost girls of China. It is a journey of heartbreak and hope against all odds as one young woman decides to make a fresh start and a family’s race to reunite with their lost daughter and untangle the lies of the past. It is heartbreaking to imagine young women living the life described for Li Jin and the other women introduced in the story. Tangled Vines is darker than The Scavenger’s Daughters; however, the situations Ms Bratt writes about are dark and terrifying. While reading, I wanted to reach through the pages and hug Benfu, to comfort Calli and rescue Li Jin. I don’t want to give away certain plot points but at one point, I cheered and I cried as I closed the final chapter. I recommend reading Tangled Vines after reading the first book. I will be reading the rest of the series and reviewing it soon. 

Tangled Vines is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook