Fire Horse Girl

by Kay Honeyman

[Angie]

I am ashamed at how long it took me to read The Fire Horse Girl. It is so good! I loved Jade Moon from the first page, and was completely immersed in her story until the last page. Set in 1923, we follow Jade Moon as she leaves her village in China and heads off to America. A young man, Sterling Promise, had brought a message from her long lost uncle and papers to get her father to San Francisco. They reach Angel Island, where they are held for months as the officials determine if they are who they say they are. Jade manages to make it to the city only after assuming a boy's identity, but life in America is not what she anticipated at all.

Jade Moon has to be the best character I've encountered in a long time. Her village believes they're cursed, since her sign is Fire Horse, the worst of the worst in the Chinese Zodiac. She's clumsy, hot-tempered, and just generally doesn't act how women were expected to act. She believes she's unlucky and that there's nothing for her in China, which is why she is desperate to make the journey to America. It's not easy, but Jade Moon uses her wit and cunning to get there. Oh, how I loved what she did to Sterling Promise in order to get passage! Good stuff! Once she is in Chinatown, she does what she has to in order to secure housing and a job. She works for the most powerful and dangerous man, but her supposed bad qualities allow her to succeed and pass as a boy for months. And she finally does something good! Much applause for Jade!

I really don't want to give anything away, so I'm keeping this review short. Trust me that The Fire Horse Girl is great! It's about a time in history that I didn't know much about and it really opened my eyes to how Chinese Immigrants were treated. I also learned a lot about Chinese culture. I do think this one will appeal to those who aren't typically fans of Historical Fiction also. It never felt stuffy and old like Historical Fiction does at times. It's exciting and fresh as we cheer for Jade Mood to reach her American dream! There's also a little bit of romance, which ended up being really cute once the two got past all of their past conflicts. The Fire Horse Girl definitely left me with a smile.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.