Girls on the Line provides a really gritty look inside the lives of two young Chinese women, one of whom is fresh out of the orphanage and navigating the world on her own for the first time, and one who has some experience on the outside but finds herself facing difficult choices. It's a really powerful story that touches on a lot of tough topics, especially for young women in China. Just to name a few, we have:
- •Pregnancy and the resulting decisions. When Yun finds herself pregnant in a country that's incredibly unsupportive of unwed pregnant women (sound familiar?), the choices she faces are all pretty much undesirable ones. Interestingly, the government in this case was all about abortion- they just didn't want to be the ones to pay for it. So when a girl like Yun, with no family, no money, no support needs to make these choices... well you can imagine the struggle.
- •Toxic relationships. Here's a shocker: Yun's boyfriend is actual garbage. And Yun... man, she is not at the point where she's ready to come to terms with it. It is a really honest look into abusive relationships- both from the angle of the person in the relationship, and from people who care about her on the outside.
- •Friendships, their evolution, and how to be in a good one. This was pretty much a huge plot point of the story, and I loved it. I don't want to get into it too much, because I want you to read about it for yourselves, but it really explores this female friendship, how it can be tested, to the point of potentially breaking, and how (and if) to rebuild. Powerful stuff that we don't see enough in fiction honestly.
- •Growing up. Luli's story is very much about finding her own agency. She's been an orphan, yes, but there was always someone acting as an advocate for her. First, the orphanage, and then even after, Yun. But what happens when Luli herself must rise up? It's an incredible look into coming of age, figuring out who you want to be.
The writing and dialogue felt a but simplistic at times, and that was probably my only real negative about the story. Oh, and do yourself a favor and read the author's note at the end. It explains so much about her inspiration for the story, and some of the facts.
Bottom Line: A very powerful and incredibly relevant story. One worth reading, no question.