Jennie Liu is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. She has been fascinated by the attitudes, social policies, and changes in China each time she visits. She lives in North Carolina with her family.
"Jennie Liu's Girls on the Line is a gut-wrenching story of
sisterhood and perseverance.
"Early 2000s China, in the throes of family planning policies and
massive industrialization, isn't kind to orphaned girls like Luli
and Yun, who are trapped in a system that controls their bodies
politically, physically, and economically. Still, theirs are
extraordinary lives.
"As children, Luli and Yun band together. Life is debilitating in
their orphanage, but their friendship lasts even when they age out
of the government childcare system. They find work at an
electronics factory doing tiring, daylong work. Eking out this hard
living rewards them with independence and some modicum of comfort .
. . until Yun discovers that she's pregnant.
"China's laws prohibit unwed girls from giving birth, so Yun has
only one true option: abortion. But before she can make any
decisions, she vanishes. Luli struggles to find her friend before
it is too late, concerned that she might have gotten into trouble
with the boy who got her pregnant: a bride trafficker, Yong.
"Told in alternating points of view, the book's language is clear
and emotive. Yun and Luli are deep and complex. The sheer
exploitation that they must endure at the hands of traffickers,
factory bosses, and government regulations is brutal, but their
sometimes rocky relationship offers a glimmer of hope and
sisterhood in the midst of trauma.
"The Chinese setting is established seamlessly; the nation's laws,
social mores, and other nuances come through. Rife with tension,
interweaving threads, and moving and startling moments, the story
captivates and speaks to a political situation that still struggles
with the aftermath of regulatory policies.
"Both poignant and agonizing, Girls on the Line is a must
read."—starred, Foreword Reviews
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