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Girl in Reverse
When Lily was three, her mother put her up for adoption, then disappeared without a trace. Or so Lily was told. Lily grew up in her new family and tried to forget her past. But with the Korean War raging and fear of “commies” everywhere, Lily’s Asian heritage makes her a target. She is sick of the racism she faces, a fact her adoptive parents won’t take seriously. For Lily, war is everywhere—the dinner table, the halls at school, and especially within her own skin.
Then her brainy little brother, Ralph, finds a box hidden in the attic. In it are a baffling jumble of broken antiques—clues to her past left by her “Gone Mom.” Lily and Ralph attempt to match these fragments with rare Chinese artifacts at the art museum. She encounters the artistic genius Elliot James, who attracts and infuriates Lily as he tries to draw out the beauty of her golden heritage. Will Lily summon the courage to confront her own remarkable creation story? The real story, and one she can know only by coming face-to-face with the truth long buried within the people she thought she knew best.
Then her brainy little brother, Ralph, finds a box hidden in the attic. In it are a baffling jumble of broken antiques—clues to her past left by her “Gone Mom.” Lily and Ralph attempt to match these fragments with rare Chinese artifacts at the art museum. She encounters the artistic genius Elliot James, who attracts and infuriates Lily as he tries to draw out the beauty of her golden heritage. Will Lily summon the courage to confront her own remarkable creation story? The real story, and one she can know only by coming face-to-face with the truth long buried within the people she thought she knew best.
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2014
27 people are currently reading
1421 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Stuber
3 books47 followersIn the fourth grade Barbara Stuber co-authored her first book – a "Diotionary" (sic)of nonsense words. Early spelling challenges resolved she now weaves those words into short stories and novels. When not writing, Barbara is an art museum docent, drawing inspiration for her characters and honing details of setting and plot from the museum’s vast resource of portraits, landscapes and sculpture.
Barbara lives in Kansas City with her family, about two hours from the good folks of Wellsford, Missouri. Crossing the Tracks is her first novel.
Barbara lives in Kansas City with her family, about two hours from the good folks of Wellsford, Missouri. Crossing the Tracks is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
November 6, 2014
“Don't forget who you are and where you come from."
----F Scott Fitzgerald
It is becoming hard for Lily to move ahead without getting any idea about her real mother or father or her real roots. Without the raging war between America, Japan and Communist Party in China and for Lily, who happens to have a "chink" face and living with her adopted American family in the Kansas City, it is getting harder to survive her high school days without any mockery or racial teasing.
Barbara Stuber's protagonist, Lily, in her new book, Girl in Reverse is a meek, confused and curious young teenager, who's life suddenly takes on the reverse gear to find out about her past, that happens to haunt her almost every day! Girl in Reverse is not any kind of cheesy YA tale, instead it weaves a tale about finding your real roots and how to not forget them and exploring the bright dimension of art, antiques and cartoons!!
I'd like to thank the author, Barbara Stuber, for giving me this opportunity to read and review her historical novel.
In the blurb, we see that, Lily has been left by her real mother in a lonely orphanage, in Kansas City at the age of three, for adoption, and her mother vanished into thin air. Fast forward to the 1950s, we see Lily as a teenager, attending high school and dreading the social science periods. But with all the taunting and racial remarks about her originality, Lily gets determined to find her real roots, whether she is Japanese or Chinese. Her determination not only opens a wide world of new relationships but also make her identify her real-shelf. Imagine while finding roots, the whole experience changes your view on the outer world as well as on your inner shelf, then such a journey is worth experiencing. Although, she was not alone in finding the clues of her past life, her half-brother, Ralph, helps her find her about her real mother, when he stumbles upon an old box in her home's attic, under the nose of their parents. To find clues, they investigate in the local city museum, where Lily comes across the art genius, Elliot James, who used to make Lily very nervous and would make her heart beat faster. But with so much happening and so many revelations about her past so will Lily be able to accept the truth and be able to trace her oriental originality?
Following F. Scott Fitzgerald’s remarkable quote, it is quite evident that Lily is an epitome who is not only curious but also determined never to forget about her roots. Lily is someone, who you can easily relate to. Girl in Reverse will be a guide book for all those adopted kids who are really clueless about their originality. The author has tried to instilled one strong point among us that no matter what, you must figure out your real roots, origin, birth place, culture, religion and respect them. Yes, although adopted kids are supposed to wipe out of any memories of their previous life, but still, it is very important to know about their origin, since it'll teach them to know themselves better.
We see the unfolding of the plot with the eyes of Lily, who not only fall for a young art student, but also develops an interest for Chinese art and culture from their nearby Chinese restaurant. The characters are very spectacular, especially, Ralph and Mr. Howard, who stand beside Lily through thick and thin, and Ralph, not only wins your heart but also his sweet demeanor sparks up the whole book! I so want my brother to be like Ralph, who loved her adopted elder sister, Lily like crazily and always protected her no matter what and his obsession with the local Scouts team is quite impressionable. Mr. Howard makes everyone see the right from wrong with his wisdom and knowledge. The chemistry between Lily and Elliot is quite innocently narrated by the author and more than lust or love, they had a solid friendship. The book not only gripped me with the author's prose and flow of narration, but also enlightened me about lot of things- mostly racism!
Don't miss out to read this compelling and enticing novel of Barbara Stuber, who takes you on a journey from oriental Chinese antique Bodhisattva to finding one's true-shelf!
----F Scott Fitzgerald
It is becoming hard for Lily to move ahead without getting any idea about her real mother or father or her real roots. Without the raging war between America, Japan and Communist Party in China and for Lily, who happens to have a "chink" face and living with her adopted American family in the Kansas City, it is getting harder to survive her high school days without any mockery or racial teasing.
Barbara Stuber's protagonist, Lily, in her new book, Girl in Reverse is a meek, confused and curious young teenager, who's life suddenly takes on the reverse gear to find out about her past, that happens to haunt her almost every day! Girl in Reverse is not any kind of cheesy YA tale, instead it weaves a tale about finding your real roots and how to not forget them and exploring the bright dimension of art, antiques and cartoons!!
I'd like to thank the author, Barbara Stuber, for giving me this opportunity to read and review her historical novel.
In the blurb, we see that, Lily has been left by her real mother in a lonely orphanage, in Kansas City at the age of three, for adoption, and her mother vanished into thin air. Fast forward to the 1950s, we see Lily as a teenager, attending high school and dreading the social science periods. But with all the taunting and racial remarks about her originality, Lily gets determined to find her real roots, whether she is Japanese or Chinese. Her determination not only opens a wide world of new relationships but also make her identify her real-shelf. Imagine while finding roots, the whole experience changes your view on the outer world as well as on your inner shelf, then such a journey is worth experiencing. Although, she was not alone in finding the clues of her past life, her half-brother, Ralph, helps her find her about her real mother, when he stumbles upon an old box in her home's attic, under the nose of their parents. To find clues, they investigate in the local city museum, where Lily comes across the art genius, Elliot James, who used to make Lily very nervous and would make her heart beat faster. But with so much happening and so many revelations about her past so will Lily be able to accept the truth and be able to trace her oriental originality?
Following F. Scott Fitzgerald’s remarkable quote, it is quite evident that Lily is an epitome who is not only curious but also determined never to forget about her roots. Lily is someone, who you can easily relate to. Girl in Reverse will be a guide book for all those adopted kids who are really clueless about their originality. The author has tried to instilled one strong point among us that no matter what, you must figure out your real roots, origin, birth place, culture, religion and respect them. Yes, although adopted kids are supposed to wipe out of any memories of their previous life, but still, it is very important to know about their origin, since it'll teach them to know themselves better.
We see the unfolding of the plot with the eyes of Lily, who not only fall for a young art student, but also develops an interest for Chinese art and culture from their nearby Chinese restaurant. The characters are very spectacular, especially, Ralph and Mr. Howard, who stand beside Lily through thick and thin, and Ralph, not only wins your heart but also his sweet demeanor sparks up the whole book! I so want my brother to be like Ralph, who loved her adopted elder sister, Lily like crazily and always protected her no matter what and his obsession with the local Scouts team is quite impressionable. Mr. Howard makes everyone see the right from wrong with his wisdom and knowledge. The chemistry between Lily and Elliot is quite innocently narrated by the author and more than lust or love, they had a solid friendship. The book not only gripped me with the author's prose and flow of narration, but also enlightened me about lot of things- mostly racism!
Don't miss out to read this compelling and enticing novel of Barbara Stuber, who takes you on a journey from oriental Chinese antique Bodhisattva to finding one's true-shelf!
March 8, 2021
The social angst of being a teenager is bad enough, but for Lily Firestone, an adopted Chinese girl attending high school in 1951 during the Korean War, it’s unbearable. She feels totally ostracized by classmates who call her “Chink” and “Commie.” Both her parents and school faculty appear to be clueless and of little support.
But this girl is not without support. It comes from a wise school janitor, a clever younger brother, a couple who own a Chinese restaurant, a fellow student with a talent for art, a Catholic nun, and finally the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. These all combine to lead her on a search for more information about where she came from. Clues begin to be uncovered and the story turns into an adventure mystery leading to the question in the reader’s mind, is she going to find her “gone mother?” Is her birth mother still alive, and if not what happened to her?
From the Chinese exhibit at the Nelson Atkins museum her childhood memories begin to kick in. She has a faint recollection of seeing some of the things in the museum with her birth mother (Lily was three years old when left at the orphanage by her mother). The author is a docent at the Nelson-Atkins, so the reader can be sure that the art history contained in the book is based on actual items contained in the museum.
Through all these adventures of discovery, Lily becomes more confident and self assured. This is a young adult (YA) book that should have particular appeal to adopted girls of Chinese ancestry. But I’m an old white male, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book’s story. So a reader doesn’t need to be young to appreciate this book.
Some parents will be frustrated that the parents depicted in this book are so out of touch with the feelings of their adopted daughter. But I suspect that is what makes this a perfect YA novel. All YA's (or almost all) experience conflict with their parents. Some of the relationship problems portrayed in this book are so absurd that I'm sure many readers, including YA's, will recognize that Lily is partly to blame for them. Perhaps this will prompt some readers to examine their own interpersonal relationships and seek ways to improve communication and understanding.
I just wish all YA's who read this book could be surrounded with such wise and caring friends and acquaintances. When Lily is feeling persecuted she receives understanding and some good advice from a school janitor who's African American. Let's just say that an African American in 1951 (before Brown v. Board of Education) who works as a janitor in an all white public school knows more about discrimination than any seventeen year old Chinese American who's feeling sorry for herself.
And her eleven year old younger brother is almost too good to be true. The brother-sister relationship described in this book is a wonderful model of cooperation I hope YA readers can emulate.
And how lucky can a young Chinese American girl be? She lives within walking distance of the Nelson-Atkins (in Kansas City, MO) that just happens to have a world class collection of Chinese art and artifacts. She learns that her Chinese heritage is something she can feel proud of. By the end of the book Lily is able to write a letter to an important person discovered as part of this book's story and sign it with gusto:
But this girl is not without support. It comes from a wise school janitor, a clever younger brother, a couple who own a Chinese restaurant, a fellow student with a talent for art, a Catholic nun, and finally the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. These all combine to lead her on a search for more information about where she came from. Clues begin to be uncovered and the story turns into an adventure mystery leading to the question in the reader’s mind, is she going to find her “gone mother?” Is her birth mother still alive, and if not what happened to her?
From the Chinese exhibit at the Nelson Atkins museum her childhood memories begin to kick in. She has a faint recollection of seeing some of the things in the museum with her birth mother (Lily was three years old when left at the orphanage by her mother). The author is a docent at the Nelson-Atkins, so the reader can be sure that the art history contained in the book is based on actual items contained in the museum.
Through all these adventures of discovery, Lily becomes more confident and self assured. This is a young adult (YA) book that should have particular appeal to adopted girls of Chinese ancestry. But I’m an old white male, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book’s story. So a reader doesn’t need to be young to appreciate this book.
Some parents will be frustrated that the parents depicted in this book are so out of touch with the feelings of their adopted daughter. But I suspect that is what makes this a perfect YA novel. All YA's (or almost all) experience conflict with their parents. Some of the relationship problems portrayed in this book are so absurd that I'm sure many readers, including YA's, will recognize that Lily is partly to blame for them. Perhaps this will prompt some readers to examine their own interpersonal relationships and seek ways to improve communication and understanding.
I just wish all YA's who read this book could be surrounded with such wise and caring friends and acquaintances. When Lily is feeling persecuted she receives understanding and some good advice from a school janitor who's African American. Let's just say that an African American in 1951 (before Brown v. Board of Education) who works as a janitor in an all white public school knows more about discrimination than any seventeen year old Chinese American who's feeling sorry for herself.
And her eleven year old younger brother is almost too good to be true. The brother-sister relationship described in this book is a wonderful model of cooperation I hope YA readers can emulate.
And how lucky can a young Chinese American girl be? She lives within walking distance of the Nelson-Atkins (in Kansas City, MO) that just happens to have a world class collection of Chinese art and artifacts. She learns that her Chinese heritage is something she can feel proud of. By the end of the book Lily is able to write a letter to an important person discovered as part of this book's story and sign it with gusto:
I pause, breath, position my wrist and pen and add my calligraphy signature--one upward stroke of ink, full of FLAME AND BACKBONE—"L".Feeling angst but also discovering caring friends—it's an ideal story that I hope many YA readers will learn from—to search for the good in their own heritage and environment.
May 16, 2020
As a Chinese adoptee to white parents myself, I have a LOT of thoughts about this book.
The pros:
- The cover was beautiful. Enough said.
- I could definitely relate to the protagonist, Lily Firestone. Adopted to a white family, feeling like she never really belonged, and facing racism and prejudice, Lily has to deal with a lot. She questions her identity and her past each and every day, and struggles to navigate who she is during a turbulent time in history, where all people of Asian ancestry were seen as the enemy. Though I did not grow up during the Korean War, a lot of the challenges Lily faced really resonated with me. I really enjoyed Lily's character development and how she is able to gain confidence and strength.
- It was a nice story. I won't spoil it for everyone, but I liked the general progression of the plot and how it was resolved.
- I loved the incorporation of art, and how it enriched the character's lives and the story itself.
Ok, now on to the cons...or really, one huge con that I couldn't move past the entire time I was reading:
- The author is white and not adopted. There is nothing wrong with a white person wanting to know more about a culture or an experience. But there is a lot wrong with a white person writing about an experience they cannot ever truly know or understand. Lily Firestone is a Chinese adoptee. Barbara Stuber is NOT Chinese OR an adoptee. While Stuber clearly did research the historical context of her story, and Chinese art and culture, it honestly infuriated me to be reading her story of a transracial adoptee. Sorry, Barbara Stuber, but this is not your narrative. This is not your story, this is not your space, and this is not your place. You simply cannot know what it is like to be a Chinese adoptee - and I don't mean that in an exclusive or insulting way. It's just not who you are.
Of course, every single adoptee has a different experience, and every single adoptee is in a different place on their adoption journey. Some seek out their "Gone Moms", as Lily calls her birth mother, while others are content to never know. But regardless, a non-adopted, white person should not be writing a narrative of an adoptee of color and her adoption journey. Yes, I understand that this is a work of fiction, and yes, it's just one book. But as Stuber herself emphasizes in Girl in Reverse, words have power, and it's important to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. There are sooo many books out there chronicling Asian American or POC experiences, written by NON Asian Americans or POCs. I appreciate white authors have an interest in other cultures and races. I would appreciate it more if they respected and understood how much space they are taking up by speaking for us and writing stories of what they think OUR lives are.
- On a related note: While I completely understood why Stuber had the Chow family speak with heavy accents, it frankly came off as a bit racist. In some ways, it seemed intentional - to draw attention to how Chinese/Asian and Chinese/Asian Americans are viewed both in history and today. However, 1. Chinese people don't talk like that, it was incredibly stereotypical, and 2. again, because the author was white, it did NOT sit well with me to have her Chinese characters fill so many stereotypes. While I did appreciate how racism was combated in the story, and how Lily was able to stand up to it eventually, a white author does not and cannot experience the racism a person of color can, DOES, and will face.
So overall, I'm giving this book 2 stars. It was an ok read. I liked the characters and the plot alright, and the topic was very close to my heart. I just wish it had been written by someone who was speaking more from the heart and from personal experience, rather than speaking from some research and asking Chinese people.
The pros:
- The cover was beautiful. Enough said.
- I could definitely relate to the protagonist, Lily Firestone. Adopted to a white family, feeling like she never really belonged, and facing racism and prejudice, Lily has to deal with a lot. She questions her identity and her past each and every day, and struggles to navigate who she is during a turbulent time in history, where all people of Asian ancestry were seen as the enemy. Though I did not grow up during the Korean War, a lot of the challenges Lily faced really resonated with me. I really enjoyed Lily's character development and how she is able to gain confidence and strength.
- It was a nice story. I won't spoil it for everyone, but I liked the general progression of the plot and how it was resolved.
- I loved the incorporation of art, and how it enriched the character's lives and the story itself.
Ok, now on to the cons...or really, one huge con that I couldn't move past the entire time I was reading:
- The author is white and not adopted. There is nothing wrong with a white person wanting to know more about a culture or an experience. But there is a lot wrong with a white person writing about an experience they cannot ever truly know or understand. Lily Firestone is a Chinese adoptee. Barbara Stuber is NOT Chinese OR an adoptee. While Stuber clearly did research the historical context of her story, and Chinese art and culture, it honestly infuriated me to be reading her story of a transracial adoptee. Sorry, Barbara Stuber, but this is not your narrative. This is not your story, this is not your space, and this is not your place. You simply cannot know what it is like to be a Chinese adoptee - and I don't mean that in an exclusive or insulting way. It's just not who you are.
Of course, every single adoptee has a different experience, and every single adoptee is in a different place on their adoption journey. Some seek out their "Gone Moms", as Lily calls her birth mother, while others are content to never know. But regardless, a non-adopted, white person should not be writing a narrative of an adoptee of color and her adoption journey. Yes, I understand that this is a work of fiction, and yes, it's just one book. But as Stuber herself emphasizes in Girl in Reverse, words have power, and it's important to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. There are sooo many books out there chronicling Asian American or POC experiences, written by NON Asian Americans or POCs. I appreciate white authors have an interest in other cultures and races. I would appreciate it more if they respected and understood how much space they are taking up by speaking for us and writing stories of what they think OUR lives are.
- On a related note: While I completely understood why Stuber had the Chow family speak with heavy accents, it frankly came off as a bit racist. In some ways, it seemed intentional - to draw attention to how Chinese/Asian and Chinese/Asian Americans are viewed both in history and today. However, 1. Chinese people don't talk like that, it was incredibly stereotypical, and 2. again, because the author was white, it did NOT sit well with me to have her Chinese characters fill so many stereotypes. While I did appreciate how racism was combated in the story, and how Lily was able to stand up to it eventually, a white author does not and cannot experience the racism a person of color can, DOES, and will face.
So overall, I'm giving this book 2 stars. It was an ok read. I liked the characters and the plot alright, and the topic was very close to my heart. I just wish it had been written by someone who was speaking more from the heart and from personal experience, rather than speaking from some research and asking Chinese people.
May 22, 2018
This book is almost comically bad. The author –– a white woman –– seems to truly revel in constantly invoking anti-Asian slurs and various other antiquated and offensive terms. It almost seems like she's writing from the perspective of an Asian MC living in the 50s midwest precisely so she can invoke all the instances of overt hatred and Orientalism...as though she enjoys writing about it.
Beyond that disturbing thought, her characters are one-dimensional. I really wanted to feel alongside Lillian, but I never got below the surface-level of her character. Her relationship with her little brother could have been a great site of development and growth, but it wasn't. The romantic subplot was so half-assed that it should have been scrapped entirely.
And I'm not going to spoil things, but white saviorism ABOUNDS in this book, despite the attempt at pointing out the dangers of white christian adoption savior narratives that the beginning of the book contains. The one non-white savior falls squarely into the
Beyond that disturbing thought, her characters are one-dimensional. I really wanted to feel alongside Lillian, but I never got below the surface-level of her character. Her relationship with her little brother could have been a great site of development and growth, but it wasn't. The romantic subplot was so half-assed that it should have been scrapped entirely.
And I'm not going to spoil things, but white saviorism ABOUNDS in this book, despite the attempt at pointing out the dangers of white christian adoption savior narratives that the beginning of the book contains. The one non-white savior falls squarely into the
May 15, 2018
Absolutely love this story set in the town I live in and featuring our spectacular art museum. The prejudice we see woven through the book is a hard reminder of the mistakes of the past and present.
Lily has strong support from characters like Mr. Howard, Elliot James, Evangeline, the Chows and -- my favorite -- her younger brother, Ralph. Ralph was such a gem of a character. One of my favorite passages was when he is helping Lily spy on the Chinese exhibit and is setting up their mother's compact while extolling the virture of mirror placement. So glad our book group is reading this YA novel by a local author this month. So many great passages and concepts to discuss together. Highly recommended!
Lily has strong support from characters like Mr. Howard, Elliot James, Evangeline, the Chows and -- my favorite -- her younger brother, Ralph. Ralph was such a gem of a character. One of my favorite passages was when he is helping Lily spy on the Chinese exhibit and is setting up their mother's compact while extolling the virture of mirror placement. So glad our book group is reading this YA novel by a local author this month. So many great passages and concepts to discuss together. Highly recommended!
top-wishlist
July 22, 20171. Saw the gorgeous cover.
2. Read the blurb. 'Korean War', 'Asian heritage'
3. Saw the tag historical-fiction.
4. OMG BARBARA STUBER!!! I remember absolutely adoring her debut novel 'Crossing the Tracks'. This one is without a doubt on my to-preorder list. :D
2. Read the blurb. 'Korean War', 'Asian heritage'
3. Saw the tag historical-fiction.
4. OMG BARBARA STUBER!!! I remember absolutely adoring her debut novel 'Crossing the Tracks'. This one is without a doubt on my to-preorder list. :D
July 9, 2019
This is poorly done. I had to DNF in the first half. The voice is nonexistent. The dialogue is tedious and unnatural. The characters are one-dimensional. The storytelling is meh. Nothing about this feels honest or authentic to me. The pacing is awful, and/or nonexistent. Nothing useful or particularly interesting had happened by the time I quit reading.
I tried to hold on, but the longer I read, the more frustrated I became. There are a lot of derogatory racial comments that occur in the first few chapters, with seemingly no useful purpose to the storytelling and plot and basically no consequences. The first few were enough to set the tone and understand the plot/setting/background, but then it just hammers you with endless backstory of the whole tragic past life of this girl and every horrible racial thing someone has said and done to her. It’s trying to set her up to be an ultimate victim (and a rather clueless one at that), but instead, the incessant derogatory racial comments just feel gratuitous and endless. Plus, I feel like it plays into some unfortunate stereotypes.
There’s a way to handle stories about racial issues gracefully and/or authentically, and then there’s this.
If you want the first, try these instead:
I tried to hold on, but the longer I read, the more frustrated I became. There are a lot of derogatory racial comments that occur in the first few chapters, with seemingly no useful purpose to the storytelling and plot and basically no consequences. The first few were enough to set the tone and understand the plot/setting/background, but then it just hammers you with endless backstory of the whole tragic past life of this girl and every horrible racial thing someone has said and done to her. It’s trying to set her up to be an ultimate victim (and a rather clueless one at that), but instead, the incessant derogatory racial comments just feel gratuitous and endless. Plus, I feel like it plays into some unfortunate stereotypes.
There’s a way to handle stories about racial issues gracefully and/or authentically, and then there’s this.
If you want the first, try these instead:
July 1, 2014
I loved Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber. It is a young adult book. The setting is 1951 in Kansas City. Lillian Firestone is a high school student that is adopted and Chinese. She gets a detention because she was being made fun of in a class and walked out. This led her to detention in the art room after school. This led her to an interest in art and some art artifacts she was left by her "Gone Mom" when she was adopted. Some of the art sculptures and paintings that are in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art were discussed. It was all very interesting to me being from Kansas City and loving the Nelson. The author, Barbara Stuber is a docent at the Nelson. I absolutely loved this book. It is a perfect book to lead to discussions of discrimination. It would be a great book for a Book Group.
I did have one burning question: Why did Sister Evangeline leave the convent after she gave Lillian the slipper? Was it related to her speaking to Lillian? Was she ready to leave and she had one last assignment- to give Lillian the slipper? Can someone enlighten me on this?
I did have one burning question: Why did Sister Evangeline leave the convent after she gave Lillian the slipper? Was it related to her speaking to Lillian? Was she ready to leave and she had one last assignment- to give Lillian the slipper? Can someone enlighten me on this?
November 28, 2022
The novel is written with the same first lyricism that I so enjoyed in Stuber's other novel, Crossing the Tracks (2010). Every word counts towards the unfolding of Lily's history — the truth of her life.
I especially like that Lily despite her desire to learn the identity of her parents, doesn't want to leave her adoptive family. Lily and Ralph have a tight bond and although she's sometimes jealous of what he can get away with, he clearly loves and respects her.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...
Orphan Uhoria Blue Highway FFCC33
I especially like that Lily despite her desire to learn the identity of her parents, doesn't want to leave her adoptive family. Lily and Ralph have a tight bond and although she's sometimes jealous of what he can get away with, he clearly loves and respects her.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...
Orphan Uhoria Blue Highway FFCC33
May 17, 2022
I didn't realize this was a YA book until I started reading it. It became quite obvious that the writing style was geared to that audience---although this is not automatically a negative thing. I did find the writing style rather flat but I enjoyed the story enough to rate it 3 stars. It tells the story of a 17 year old high school aged Chinese girl set in 1953 in Kansas City. She was adopted from an orphanage when she was 4 years old by a white couple.
Since being adopted, she has been led to believe by her adoptive parents that they know nothing about her previous life and don't have any personal possessions that belonged to her when they brought her home from the orphanage. However, her younger brother Ralph finds a box hidden in the attic that has some items that were brought home with Lily. These items cause Lily to go on a search to find out about her past, especially her birth mother. Her adoptive mother is very opposed to this saying there was no need for Lily to go in reverse in her life.
The novel also describes the persecution Lily had endured over the years because of her non-white appearance and this bullying behavior is at is peak at this time because of the United States' involvement in the Korean War at the time of this novel.
I felt the author portrayed Lily's thought and actions very well ---especially typifying a teenager's behavior. Her brother Ralph was an amazing character. I loved him!
I peronally wondered why a few reviewers were upset that the author wrote this book being a white person and not adopted. It seems we read books all the time with plots which the author would never have experienced himself (or herself).
I
Since being adopted, she has been led to believe by her adoptive parents that they know nothing about her previous life and don't have any personal possessions that belonged to her when they brought her home from the orphanage. However, her younger brother Ralph finds a box hidden in the attic that has some items that were brought home with Lily. These items cause Lily to go on a search to find out about her past, especially her birth mother. Her adoptive mother is very opposed to this saying there was no need for Lily to go in reverse in her life.
The novel also describes the persecution Lily had endured over the years because of her non-white appearance and this bullying behavior is at is peak at this time because of the United States' involvement in the Korean War at the time of this novel.
I felt the author portrayed Lily's thought and actions very well ---especially typifying a teenager's behavior. Her brother Ralph was an amazing character. I loved him!
I peronally wondered why a few reviewers were upset that the author wrote this book being a white person and not adopted. It seems we read books all the time with plots which the author would never have experienced himself (or herself).
I
January 4, 2015
Before, around the first quarter of this book was a strong 2.5 stars.
Nearing the middle, it was a struggling 3.5 stars.
And now the end, a strong 4 stars that I never thought it would be.
This book is about identity, family and the need to trust yourself. And at first I thought it was just a really badly researched novel, filled with cliches but you know what? This book turned out alright in the end.
The novel follows a young Chinese girl, Lily Firestone (Loo) who's growing up around the 1950s in America, against the backdrop of the Korean War and a very strong 'communism is bad, so are the chinks' mentality. It kinda sucks. She faces racism constantly just because of who she is but it's refreshing because it's not a perspective I've read about a lot - well in actuality none a lot. The kids avoid her, call her insulting names ie. 'chink', 'ching chong' and 'commie' (something my mum relates to) and don't touch her in case they get infected with 'communism'. Serious question though, what were these kids being taught about? Either way, throughout this racial treatment, Lily's constantly being told to ignore it (like her adoptive parents), or like her teachers who just looks the other way.
She's angry - justly so - but she also never really does anything about it.
And in a way, I understand that she can't, but it doesn't mean that I was infuriated with her at times.
Plot wise, it was a slow start I have to admit and Lily wasn't exactly a likeable character.
I mean, it seemed liked I was forced to like Mr Howard, Elliot, Evangeline, Ralph and Auntie Chow (Ralph, I liked you from the start you archetypal annoying but loveable younger brother). But I didn't really care... until it was around three quarters into the book (for the other characters - still a little iffy with Mr Howard there, I mean I bet he's got a bunch of racial problems on his own but he's helping out an Asian teenager? I don't know, maybe it's just it sounds too clean cut?)
Either way, it's a nice story. Interesting, more so to me I think because I was trying to find links to Lily's exploration into Chinese culture to my own. There was a little weird part there were I was running up to my mum trying to figure out the pronunciation of some of the Chinese words they had... Which was sometimes a little off but not bad (I do think Cassandra Clare's pinyin of some Mandarin phrases in her Infernal Devices series was a little better though). It was also a little confusing as the pronunciation used jumped from Mandarin and Cantonese... And they aren't the same language and not all people who are Chinese speaks those same two dialects. The province that Lily's mum supposedly comes from is, according to my parents are Northern province? Maybe, but either way they would only speak Mandarin not likely they would speak Cantonese - which Lily recalls quite a lot throughout the novel, especially weird as she should recognise the Mandarin translation but not a big problem.
At times I felt that Chinese culture was limited to the Bhudda statue and the little delicate matching shoes.
But it expanded around the second half of the book and I did in the end relate to some aspect of Lily's exploration of Chinese culture, especially when Auntie Chow was explaining that American Chinese and Chinese Chinese food is very different - something I'm always been told ever since I was little.
I still think Lily's character was a little annoying.
I mean she had one epic moment when she basically told her class and her teacher what a bunch of racist idiots they were - I was definitely cheering throughout that - but besides that she's so timid in her actions (which is yet again understandable but hey... come on, what about the 'I'm already here and I'm not going to take the bus/transport to come here a second time so why not just knock on the door' mentality).
Also... I can't get over the names used. They just seem a little stereotypical? I mean Mr and Mrs Chow? Lien Loo? Lily Firestone? (Honestly... Firestone?!) Also Loo is a Taiwanese/Hong Kong surname not one that would be from that Shanxi province I think... Which makes sense why Lily's mother would speak to her in Cantonese but geographically it doesn't add up. Either way, this book is more of a slow like. You gotta pull through it, you'll find the diamond in the rough soon, I promise.
Nearing the middle, it was a struggling 3.5 stars.
And now the end, a strong 4 stars that I never thought it would be.
This book is about identity, family and the need to trust yourself. And at first I thought it was just a really badly researched novel, filled with cliches but you know what? This book turned out alright in the end.
The novel follows a young Chinese girl, Lily Firestone (Loo) who's growing up around the 1950s in America, against the backdrop of the Korean War and a very strong 'communism is bad, so are the chinks' mentality. It kinda sucks. She faces racism constantly just because of who she is but it's refreshing because it's not a perspective I've read about a lot - well in actuality none a lot. The kids avoid her, call her insulting names ie. 'chink', 'ching chong' and 'commie' (something my mum relates to) and don't touch her in case they get infected with 'communism'. Serious question though, what were these kids being taught about? Either way, throughout this racial treatment, Lily's constantly being told to ignore it (like her adoptive parents), or like her teachers who just looks the other way.
She's angry - justly so - but she also never really does anything about it.
And in a way, I understand that she can't, but it doesn't mean that I was infuriated with her at times.
Plot wise, it was a slow start I have to admit and Lily wasn't exactly a likeable character.
I mean, it seemed liked I was forced to like Mr Howard, Elliot, Evangeline, Ralph and Auntie Chow (Ralph, I liked you from the start you archetypal annoying but loveable younger brother). But I didn't really care... until it was around three quarters into the book (for the other characters - still a little iffy with Mr Howard there, I mean I bet he's got a bunch of racial problems on his own but he's helping out an Asian teenager? I don't know, maybe it's just it sounds too clean cut?)
Either way, it's a nice story. Interesting, more so to me I think because I was trying to find links to Lily's exploration into Chinese culture to my own. There was a little weird part there were I was running up to my mum trying to figure out the pronunciation of some of the Chinese words they had... Which was sometimes a little off but not bad (I do think Cassandra Clare's pinyin of some Mandarin phrases in her Infernal Devices series was a little better though). It was also a little confusing as the pronunciation used jumped from Mandarin and Cantonese... And they aren't the same language and not all people who are Chinese speaks those same two dialects. The province that Lily's mum supposedly comes from is, according to my parents are Northern province? Maybe, but either way they would only speak Mandarin not likely they would speak Cantonese - which Lily recalls quite a lot throughout the novel, especially weird as she should recognise the Mandarin translation but not a big problem.
At times I felt that Chinese culture was limited to the Bhudda statue and the little delicate matching shoes.
But it expanded around the second half of the book and I did in the end relate to some aspect of Lily's exploration of Chinese culture, especially when Auntie Chow was explaining that American Chinese and Chinese Chinese food is very different - something I'm always been told ever since I was little.
I still think Lily's character was a little annoying.
I mean she had one epic moment when she basically told her class and her teacher what a bunch of racist idiots they were - I was definitely cheering throughout that - but besides that she's so timid in her actions (which is yet again understandable but hey... come on, what about the 'I'm already here and I'm not going to take the bus/transport to come here a second time so why not just knock on the door' mentality).
Also... I can't get over the names used. They just seem a little stereotypical? I mean Mr and Mrs Chow? Lien Loo? Lily Firestone? (Honestly... Firestone?!) Also Loo is a Taiwanese/Hong Kong surname not one that would be from that Shanxi province I think... Which makes sense why Lily's mother would speak to her in Cantonese but geographically it doesn't add up. Either way, this book is more of a slow like. You gotta pull through it, you'll find the diamond in the rough soon, I promise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2014
Plot Summary:
Lily is ethnically Chinese, but adopted into a whitebread family in Kansas. It's currently the 1950s, with the Cold War going on, and Lily is the victim of a lot of racism, often being called a commie, spy, traitor, and chink because of her Asian face.
She can't stop thinking about "Gone Mom," her first mother who left her at an orphanage and never came back. She finds a box full of mysterious things that Gone Mom left her, and begins to research the contents, which leads her into a shocking discovery.
Review:
Part of reading this book came from a personal place. The Cold War has long since been over, but as a kid, I was called evil, a spy, and other such charming things for being Korean. I could only imagine how worse it was during the actual Cold War.
So the nasty names Lily was called throughout the book really hit home for me.
An interesting thing is that although Lily's white adoptive parents are raising a Chinese girl, they also express racist thoughts. I find it a painfully realistic relationship, that although Lily feels beholden to and even loves her parents at times, she is also frustrated and angry with their dismissive attitude towards the racism she faces and the way they treat Asians. There's this one part where her father says he's reluctant to lease to some "sneaky Orientals" right in front of Lily!
Lily has a little brother named Ralph, who is white and their parents' biological kid. I found their relationship to be rather sweet. Ralph isn't perfect, but he does his best to support Lily, and I found myself feeling really sorry for him during a certain part near the end.
The weak link of the book is Lily's love interest Elliot James, who's basically an artsy, jerky teenage boy. I just didn't find myself caring for him at all. Lily's relationships with her family members are interesting, but her relationship with the condescending Elliot is not.
I won't say what she finds in the mysterious box and where it leads her to, because that would basically spoil the plot for the story, but I found the resolution to be satisfying.
There's this one part I didn't like, though. Let's just say that it makes assumptions about Chinese culture. Basically, there's this Chinese woman who says that women in China have no chance to do anything and Lily should be grateful for being in America.
Not denying that sexism exists in China, but considering all the crap Lily goes through, I would say that's debatable. Also, this is 1950s America. You know, back when most women were expected to become housewives and few were in positions of power. Even now, there's a ton of sexism in America. While I'm not denying that Lily leads a comfortable, middle-class existence as the daughter of white, middle-class folk, it's not all peaches and cream for her.
Okay, I'm going to compare this to Eleanor and Park. The author isn't Chinese or even Asian (I looked her up), and I'm sure there are some times when she stumbles (I feel as though she forgets this is the 1950s sometimes), but you can tell that she's actually done her research. That she tries to actually write about racism and how it affects the protagonist, instead of using it as window dressing.
Basically, if you're going to write about other cultures or races, do your freaking research. Girl in Reverse was way more accurate and heartfelt than Eleanor and Park.
Lily is ethnically Chinese, but adopted into a whitebread family in Kansas. It's currently the 1950s, with the Cold War going on, and Lily is the victim of a lot of racism, often being called a commie, spy, traitor, and chink because of her Asian face.
She can't stop thinking about "Gone Mom," her first mother who left her at an orphanage and never came back. She finds a box full of mysterious things that Gone Mom left her, and begins to research the contents, which leads her into a shocking discovery.
Review:
Part of reading this book came from a personal place. The Cold War has long since been over, but as a kid, I was called evil, a spy, and other such charming things for being Korean. I could only imagine how worse it was during the actual Cold War.
So the nasty names Lily was called throughout the book really hit home for me.
An interesting thing is that although Lily's white adoptive parents are raising a Chinese girl, they also express racist thoughts. I find it a painfully realistic relationship, that although Lily feels beholden to and even loves her parents at times, she is also frustrated and angry with their dismissive attitude towards the racism she faces and the way they treat Asians. There's this one part where her father says he's reluctant to lease to some "sneaky Orientals" right in front of Lily!
Lily has a little brother named Ralph, who is white and their parents' biological kid. I found their relationship to be rather sweet. Ralph isn't perfect, but he does his best to support Lily, and I found myself feeling really sorry for him during a certain part near the end.
The weak link of the book is Lily's love interest Elliot James, who's basically an artsy, jerky teenage boy. I just didn't find myself caring for him at all. Lily's relationships with her family members are interesting, but her relationship with the condescending Elliot is not.
I won't say what she finds in the mysterious box and where it leads her to, because that would basically spoil the plot for the story, but I found the resolution to be satisfying.
There's this one part I didn't like, though. Let's just say that it makes assumptions about Chinese culture. Basically, there's this Chinese woman who says that women in China have no chance to do anything and Lily should be grateful for being in America.
Not denying that sexism exists in China, but considering all the crap Lily goes through, I would say that's debatable. Also, this is 1950s America. You know, back when most women were expected to become housewives and few were in positions of power. Even now, there's a ton of sexism in America. While I'm not denying that Lily leads a comfortable, middle-class existence as the daughter of white, middle-class folk, it's not all peaches and cream for her.
Okay, I'm going to compare this to Eleanor and Park. The author isn't Chinese or even Asian (I looked her up), and I'm sure there are some times when she stumbles (I feel as though she forgets this is the 1950s sometimes), but you can tell that she's actually done her research. That she tries to actually write about racism and how it affects the protagonist, instead of using it as window dressing.
Basically, if you're going to write about other cultures or races, do your freaking research. Girl in Reverse was way more accurate and heartfelt than Eleanor and Park.
December 2, 2013
Although American soldiers may be fighting across the ocean in the Korean War, Lily--an adopted Chinese-American fifteen-year-old--is in a war zone everywhere she goes, from the cafeteria to the classroom. Bullied by classmates in the name of patriotism, while teachers passively look the other way, Lily dreads going to school. Home isn't much better, since her parents don't want to talk about it. Only her little brother Ralph and a sympathetic custodian offer her any sort of support. But when the discovery of a box of Chinese artifacts brings up more questions than answers about her birth mother, Lily embarks on a quest to discover the truth behind own mysterious beginnings.
Stuber's historical novel starts slow, but gradually builds momentum. Lily at times seems younger than her fifteen years, but readers will identify with her struggle to figure out who she is, and will fall in love with her feisty younger brother, Ralph. Other secondary characters, especially Lily's parents, lack dimension. An intriguing mystery, a little romance, and most importantly, Lily's journey of self-discovery all combine to make a sweet coming-of-age tale.
Stuber's historical novel starts slow, but gradually builds momentum. Lily at times seems younger than her fifteen years, but readers will identify with her struggle to figure out who she is, and will fall in love with her feisty younger brother, Ralph. Other secondary characters, especially Lily's parents, lack dimension. An intriguing mystery, a little romance, and most importantly, Lily's journey of self-discovery all combine to make a sweet coming-of-age tale.
July 14, 2014
My attention was immediately captured by the gorgeous cover and after learning this was a historical fiction story having to do with Asian culture, I was sold. I picked up this book with such excitement but from the very first page I felt severely disconnected from the characters and setting and it only got worse as time went on. There was something about this book that felt really off to me. I was perplexed as I continuously found myself feeling lost as if I had missed or misunderstood something. The entire story just felt like jumble of indecisiveness. One example of that would be that it takes place in the 1950's, although I never felt as if the setting was immersed in the time period. The story was stagnant while seeming to move at a standstill pace. Sad to say this book forced me to create a DNF shelf.
January 9, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! If I could give it 4 1/2 stars I would, but I'm trying to use my 5-star ratings more sparingly this year.
First of all, the Kansas City setting was fun to read about; details included the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Southmoreland Park, Our Lady of Sorrows Church, the construction of the Country Club Plaza. Also, the time period allowed the author to confront a less-discussed facet of racism against the Chinese during the fear of communism.
This book would be a great read for middle school students in a social studies class. They could compare/contrast the racism and prejudice in the story with that they incur in their lives today.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book!
First of all, the Kansas City setting was fun to read about; details included the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Southmoreland Park, Our Lady of Sorrows Church, the construction of the Country Club Plaza. Also, the time period allowed the author to confront a less-discussed facet of racism against the Chinese during the fear of communism.
This book would be a great read for middle school students in a social studies class. They could compare/contrast the racism and prejudice in the story with that they incur in their lives today.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book!
read-but-not-finished
December 28, 2016DNF at 42%. Bored AF. Read my full review here Link goes live 12/30/2016
May 19, 2017
I have been obsessed with the Chinese Temple and Guanyin of the Southern Seas bodhisattva at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for years. The Guanyin is truly my favorite piece of art - ever. It was so much fun to read a book that wove these amazing pieces of art into the story.
The Chinese Temple is described as room that is a perfect blanket, which I feel as well when I visit. I also loved the description of the bodhisattva - it reminds us of our capacity for compassion and understanding. "The power is not in the statue, it's in us - waiting to surface."
The book starts a little slowly, but is a quick read with a great ending.
The Chinese Temple is described as room that is a perfect blanket, which I feel as well when I visit. I also loved the description of the bodhisattva - it reminds us of our capacity for compassion and understanding. "The power is not in the statue, it's in us - waiting to surface."
The book starts a little slowly, but is a quick read with a great ending.
June 17, 2016
I lack much of any emotion towards this novel. The characters are not particularly endearing or unique and the subject matter lacked intrigue. The story is a coming of age while coming to terms with adoption from the viewpoint of a girl adopted at age 4. Girl in Reverse reads like a teen/young adult novel. Overall it was fine but I wouldn't necessarily suggest it or care to read it again.
I really did appreciate the review that speaks of the "magical negro" who is strangely always around at important points of the story line to provide wisdom on a grand scale of life and discrimination. I just had to laugh.
I really did appreciate the review that speaks of the "magical negro" who is strangely always around at important points of the story line to provide wisdom on a grand scale of life and discrimination. I just had to laugh.
January 3, 2015
I'm a little sentimental about this one because.... a book about Kansas City that prominently features the Nelson Art Gallery?! Nice!!
This book is set in the 1950's and is about a Chinese girl who is adopted into a white family. It's a YA coming of age, finding my birth parents kind of story with some very cool characters. I thought it was a little disjointed and sluggish at first, but it all came together so nicely that you find yourself cheering at the end. Loved it!! Note to self: Find more books set in KC!
This book is set in the 1950's and is about a Chinese girl who is adopted into a white family. It's a YA coming of age, finding my birth parents kind of story with some very cool characters. I thought it was a little disjointed and sluggish at first, but it all came together so nicely that you find yourself cheering at the end. Loved it!! Note to self: Find more books set in KC!
June 4, 2014
I enjoyed reading about a time in history that I've not read much about- the Korean War years. And to read about it from the perspective of a Kansas City teenager was even more fun. This one was written for young adults but would be enjoyed by all.
Read
July 11, 2016I love how one of my favorite places in Kansas City, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, is such an integral part of this story! Seeing the huge Atalanta sculpture always fills me with awe. <3
April 18, 2024
Excellent read!!
October 24, 2017
Got 10 chapters in and didn't care to read any more.
May 30, 2018
Take out "Chinese" and put in "African-American" and this was basically my experience growing up in rural America. There was a little more research that I think that needed to be done about specifically being adopted into a family that is a different race than you. I also think the linguistic make up of the Chinese English Language Learners needed some work.
*Edit: I've noticed a lot of people in the reviews stating that because Stuber is white, she is not allowed to write about a non-white character. This is just silly. It is hard for a white author to write about a non-white character? Yes. Does a good writer need to do a lot of research about characters who are very different than themselves? Yes. Stuber clearly did her research, not quite enough, but I would not call her or her book racist by any means. (And yes, because it apparently matters to so many people, I am a person of color.)
*Edit: I've noticed a lot of people in the reviews stating that because Stuber is white, she is not allowed to write about a non-white character. This is just silly. It is hard for a white author to write about a non-white character? Yes. Does a good writer need to do a lot of research about characters who are very different than themselves? Yes. Stuber clearly did her research, not quite enough, but I would not call her or her book racist by any means. (And yes, because it apparently matters to so many people, I am a person of color.)
August 8, 2017
I read this for a book club, and it was chosen because it takes place in Kansas City, and was written by a Kansas City author. I liked the story, and the way art was integrated throughout the story-telling. It's very young-adult, which isn't a genre I read much of, but I found it a quick read. However, reading this so soon after reading Everything I Never Told You, made this pale in comparison. They are different books in different genres, so it's an unfair comparison, but I couldn't get the other book out of my mind.
October 24, 2019
Girl in Reverse was confusing at the beginning. It was also boring. It only got interesting towards the end of the story. This story talks about a girl named, Lilian Firestone. She's a Chinese girl that was born in America. Her mother put her up in adoption without a trace. And since then, Lily has been trying to find her birth mother. But the family who adopted her makes it difficult as they won't tell her any clues at all. She's also being discriminated in school for being Chinese. In this story, Lily will try to find her birth mother. But she will also find out many other things along the way.
May 18, 2024
I lack much of any emotion towards this novel. The characters are not particularly endearing or unique and the subject matter lacked intrigue. The story is a coming of age while coming to terms with adoption from the viewpoint of a girl adopted at age 4. Girl in Reverse reads like a teen/young adult novel. Overall it was fine but I wouldn't necessarily suggest it or care to read it again.
I really did appreciate the review that speaks of the "magical negro" who is strangely always around at important points of the story line to provide wisdom on a grand scale of life and discrimination. I just had to laugh.
I really did appreciate the review that speaks of the "magical negro" who is strangely always around at important points of the story line to provide wisdom on a grand scale of life and discrimination. I just had to laugh.
June 26, 2018
I did not realize this was a young adult book until my book group brought it up, and that helped explain why it seemed a bit simple, flat, and full of tears from the main character. The book is filled with good, wholesome characters, many of whom clearly fit the description of "bodhisattvas," and thus was a refreshing look at humanity. Story is one of an orphan girl searching for her beginnings and reflecting on her various families and mothers. Nice to have a book set in my home town and featuring the Nelson-Atkins Museum, a place I frequent.
July 18, 2021
Girl in Reverse is a novel that I didn't know I needed to read. I'm so glad I did. The Ralph and Mr Howard characters were such a beautiful breath of fresh air and I wish I could have given the Lilian character a hug. What a great coming-of-age story about overcoming self-hatred and self-doubt and the importance of looking at people from all angles before passing judgement.
May 29, 2022
Really a 3.5, the story was an interesting idea but I fell asleep reading it more than once. — during the day. I liked Lily, especially her thoughts which felt very shy teenage girl to me. I also needed to remind myself this was set in the 50’s which I think helps explain her parents and the culture better. So good, not great but an interesting premise.
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