Evelyn Lau’s realistic written record of her life as a fourteen year old beginning her life as a runaway was definitely the novel that made my dislike for reading forever change. I purchased this book on Amazon because it was required for my Asian American literature class at San Francisco State University, and after reading the entire book, I have decided to give it a special placement in my bookcase rather than resell it.
I will summarize the plot without giving spoilers. At age six, Evelyn Lau knew she was destined to be a writer, but her passions were suppressed by her controlling parents who dreamed of their daughter with an occupation they considered better. Years of abuse pushed young Lau over the edge, which resulted in her escape from home and onto the streets of Vancouver, Canada. During the two years of street life, she had been recording most of her days into what has now become one of her most compelling work. You witness the young fourteen year old runaway steadily molding into the author she has become now. The people she encounters, the experiences she deals within drug addiction and prostitution, and the wounds inflicted upon are all raw described eloquently through her writing.
I would give this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The way the passages were written were very powerful and emotional, giving almost a passageway to connect the reader so they could understand the author’s turmoils. The book is so deep and dark that you cannot help but feel remorse for Lau. Being identified as an Asian American, I feel that I was able to relate to her in many ways that it really hit home for me. However, I would not recommend this book to everyone. If you do not have a penchant for dark novels, then this is definitely not the book for you. We are reading an account that involves a person’s addiction, which could become too redundant for some impatient readers out there. Despite some of the negatives, I still consider this novel a great masterpiece.
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