To Move the World: family, loyalty and the strive for the American Dream

To Move the World by Kay Bratt is the second book in The Sworn Sisters duology. It is a story of family loyalty, love and the strive for the American Dream. California in 1876 is a tumultuous time for Chinese Americans as they face fierce persecution. It’s been several years since Sun Ling, Min Kao, Jingwei and Luli arrived in San Francisco. The city’s Chinatown has grown so large that the white citizens in the surrounding areas disapprove. Jingwei and Sin Ling have found a purpose as rescuers of young girls and women in distress. At night, Sun Ling disguises herself and quietly finds and releases girls and women in captive situations. Jingwei helps them find a path to a better life. During the day, Sun Ling also works alongside John Lane, a lawyer who has made it his life’s work to help the oppressed and persecuted. Violent uprisings, a smallpox epidemic and stories of witchcraft, there is no shortage of fuel to fan the flames of anti-Chinese sentiment. Will they find the strength and courage to forge ahead to find happiness and love in their new country? 

While I have known about many anti-Chinese sentiments in California, especially after the Gold Rush, Ms. Bratt features very real events in To Move the World that I did not know. Events like the mob violence in Truckee County, known as the Trout Creek Outrage (June 17-18, 1876), in attempts to rid the area of the Chinese residents. As well as the smallpox epidemic which was blamed on the residents of Chinatown as one example of the medical scapegoatism of the day. It truly hurts to read how immigrants have been vilified and harshly treated in this country and its history. From the Irish and Italian immigrants that flooded the east coast to the Chinese and Mexicans on the west coast. What is even sadder is that I still see many of these sentiments still, especially in the larger cities. While we have come a long way as a country, there is still a way to go. I enjoyed learning about the Truckee events and even read more into the events after I finished the book. I enjoyed revisiting the characters from A Welcome Misfortune. I highly recommend To Move the World. 

To Move the World is available in paperback and eBook

A Welcome Misfortune: a story of survival and courage

A Welcome Misfortune is the first book in The Sworn Sisters duology by Kay Bratt. An infant girl was born into the House of Lai, a middle-class Chinese family. She is torn from her mother and casted aside by her father. Declared a misfortune, she is to be left by the famous Chaozhou wall where many unwanted girls are abandoned to be picked up by someone else or, worse, to die. But when 18-year old Min Kao is urged by his desperate mother to see the baby girl to safety, he can’t help but be drawn to his little sister he names Luli. At the same time on the island of Hong Kong, in the affluent house of a scholar, Sun Ling and Jingwei, are indentured servants and sworn sisters, bound by their shared struggles. They find their window to escape from the hardship and abuse and board a ship board for San Francisco, California. When the paths of these three forgotten girls meet on the ship, together they will weather a treacherous journey with the hopes that they will find a better future in America. 

A Welcome Misfortune weaves an incredible story of survival and courage. Ms. Bratt is a master storyteller who brings hard hitting truth and heart to her stories. I thoroughly enjoyed her Scavenger's Daughters series and eagerly looked forward to the Sworn Sisters duology. The story opens with a bang and does not let go as Luli, Min Kao, Sun Ling and Jingwei begin their journeys to a better life. Even as they make their way to freedom, they must make life and death decisions with not so savory options. The discrimination and mistreatment they face simply because they are women and in America, because they are Chinese is horrifying. Despite this treatment, they hold to their dream of a better life than the one they left behind. They strive to show their worth and value in a world that would overlook them. There was one revelation that I had an inkling that would happen. It doesn’t mean that I didn’t cry tears of joy when it happened. If you enjoy an historical immigrant story of strength, courage and endurance, I highly recommend A Welcome Misfortune. 

A Welcome Misfortune is available in paperback and eBook