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

Last Train to Istanbul: a story of family, survival and war

 Last Train to Istanbul by Ayse Kulin is a story of love and survival in a time of great uncertainty. The story opens in 1941 as World War II is raging in Europe and Turkey is between a rock and a hard place. Trying to avoid a repeat of the aftermath of The Great World, Turkey is reluctant to choose a side, despite pressures from Britain, Russia, and Germany. As war and politics rages on, a young girl falls in love. As the daughter of a prominent family, Selva could have any man who wanted and yet she only had eyes for the handsome, Rafael Alfandari, the Jewish son of an esteemed family. In defiance of both their families, they marry and flee to France. But soon the Nazis invade and occupy France and they find themselves in danger. A few brave Turkish diplomats develop a plan to get the Turkish Jews, including Selva and Rafael, out of France and back into Turkey. The train they must take crosses the war-torn continent and behind enemy lines. Will they make the train? Will they make it to safety?

Last Train to Istanbul opens more of the world in World War II. Most books focus on occupied France and Germany. Many people don’t realize that other countries were involved or desperately trying to stay out of the war. Last Train to Istanbul opened my eyes to the war than is normally talked about. The story was dramatic with daring escapes, family drama and the amazing human spirit to survive against unbelievable odds. This is my second book from Ms. Kulin. A few years ago, I read Love in Exile, which I also recommend, Last Train to Istanbul weaves a beautiful tapestry of the country and her people. I enjoyed every character with their different views on life, politics, and the importance of family regardless of the past. I always find it encouraging when people will go above and beyond for complete strangers and this is a story of those individuals. I recommend Last Train to Istanbul.

 

Last Train to Istanbul is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook