Disclaimer - Bernice Ng, the author, was a high school classmate of mine. That said, we didn't know each other that well and I knew nothing of her family history so the book was a real eye-opener for me, one that was really interesting and also easy to read. She wrote it in first person although it is really the voice of her mom in the book so that did confuse me at first until I got used to it. Talk about an adventure - that's her mom's life starting from one filled with severe hardship in China to moving to America and dealing with one challenge after another. I was constantly shaking my head at what her mom had to endure, and also what a colorful character her mom was/is.The book is an easy read, as I mentioned, like you're sitting across from the mom hearing her tell her life story. Never a dull moment. I think it is great that she preserved this story through a book for future generations to know her. I'm glad I read it.