Mei Ling’s parents arrange for her to marry a Chinese widow based in California. In order to facilitate immigrating to the U.S., she must pose as his first wife and mother of his young son. They marry in China and then take a boat to California. On the boat, she studies the details of his life and the woman she is supposed to be. Knowing that one mistake would send her back to China she does her best to be the wife and mother she is expected to be.

I thought this book was fascinating. I’ve heard about paper son’s, and the lengths Chinese families would go to immigrate to America, but it was enlightening to read a novel about it. The book was well paced and the characters were dynamic and well rounded. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. ( )

Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim was an interesting story filled with conflict and family ties. Mei Ling is the second daughter of a poor family in China. The matchmaker has pledged her older sister to a merchant from the United States, but when her sister falls ill, Mei Ling is substituted as the bride. She must now travel to the United States with this man who she doesn’t know or fully trust. First off, she learns that he has been married before and that she is now the mother of a two year old boy. Due to the tight immigration laws, she must travel as the first wife and pass this little boy off as her own child.

On her voyage to San Francisco, she meets and becomes life-long friends with June, a Chinese woman who is travelling back to the States after visiting her family. She also meets a little six year old girl who she takes under her wing and cares for. Once in the States she must conquer many things, the language and customs are so different and confusing. As she learns more about the man she married, she learns to trust and, indeed, to love him. Together they vow to rescue the little girl from the ship who is facing a life of enforced slavery and prostitution.

I thought the book was well written, well researched and I enjoyed the story and the characters. I have read this author before and will certainly do so again. The immigration laws and the exploitation of new immigrants made for an intriguing story and, sadly, this topic is still current in today’s world. A sign of a good book is that the reader wishes that it had been longer, and I certainly felt that with Paper Wife. ( )

Paperback 2018 amazon publication

Mei ling's parents cannot afford to feed all their children. The oldest girl has a married arranged for her. The day before she is to marry, she gets sick. So mei ling is substituted.
P.15:
"Mei ling's Dragon stirred. Fire flared in her chest and an argument clawed at her throat. How could the Matchmaker refuse their Fair request?
The woman looked directly at mei ling, assessing her up and down like something to be purchased. Panic overtook her anger; her Dragon wings beat hard, urging her to take flight.
'what is the day of your birth?' The Matchmaker demanded.
'no!' Mei ling responded without thought.
Mah-ma looked worried. She stared at the woman, then at Fuchan.
Fuchan whispered, 'November 1904."
'Dragon.' The woman shook her head. 'you must not reveal your actual birth date. He is expecting a Rabbit, so a Rabbit you must be. but otherwise you will do.'
Her body rebelling, mei ling's knees gave way. She braced herself on Ahma's chair. She swallowed hard and shook her head.
the woman glared at Mei ling and threatened, 'if you do not trade identities with your sister, you will not be given another offer for marriage – nor will she. no Matchmaker will work with your family again. Your fate and your sister's future require this of you.' "

The night of her marriage is passed quickly and is probably no worse than any "romantic" marriage night.
P.35:
"Keeping the red silk off of the dirty floor was a challenge, but mei ling managed to change without sullying it. She returned to the small room and lay down on the bed. chinn Kai li left, presumably to wash up in the bathroom, returned a few moments later, and climbed next to her.
Chinn Kai li pulled up her skirt until it was above her knees She lay still, Frozen with discomfort. He climbed over her, pushing her legs apart so he could fit between them. He buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her skin with his lips. She flinched at first contact, but when she relaxed it wasn't uncomfortable; in fact it was almost tender. Without thought her hands went to the back of his head. She petted his hair as if he were a child. Soft sounds came from him, and then he entered her suddenly. She tensed up and squelched a cry of pain. Her shoulders pulled up to her ears. He rocked back and forth for a few minutes and then shuddered. Collapsing, his body weighed down her right side. She thought it might be over."

Her husband has a son who has been left without a mother. her heart goes out to him.
P.48-9:
"She gestured to bo to come close. he balked. Kai li loudly tsked his disapproval.
'was he like this before... ' she stumbled over the question. 'before his mother died?'
'I don't know,' Kai li replied.
'has it been some time since you've seen him?' Mei Ling asked.
'the day I met you was the same day I met him,' he replied.
Mei ling's heart lurched for Kai li and for bo. she kept her face composed and only nodded slowly.
'When did she...?' Mei ling couldn't find a respectful end to her question.
'March 23' Kai li said without emotion.
'last week? Or last year?'
'last week.'
Mei ling sucked in her breath. the Matchmaker had said his first wife had died recently, but she didn't realize it had only been a few days. Bo's reticence and Kai li's rush to remarry were more understandable."

On the ship crossing the Pacific ocean, Kai li must go to a separate part that is only for men. Mei ling and Bo go to the women's section, and there they meet Sieu, a little orphan girl who is traveling with her uncle. When they reach San francisco, Kai li debarks, but mei ling, Bo and Sieu must stay on Angel island.
P.104-5:
"Shame and anger flashed across the translator's face before he said, 'he suspects you are pregnant -- for the first time, though your file says you have a son. perhaps you aren't who you are saying you are?'
Mei ling's eyes widened, and her heart beat fiercely in her chest. like jui lan, she would be sent back in disgrace. she wanted to protest her honor, tell this stranger she was a married woman, a good woman, but her mind froze, unable to form the right words. Bo! Would she ever see him again? Kai li?
the doctor spoke his gibberish to the translator, then gave mei ling a look she couldn't read -- his chin down and his eyebrows raised high.
The man translated, 'no one else needs to know. do you understand?'
hope wiggled around mei ling, but she wasn't clear what the doctor was insinuating. Had the translator asked if she understood or did the American doctor say that and the translator repeated it?
'I don't,' she said meekly.
the translator repeated her statement to the white man. he looked at her, discust in his eyes. He raised his hand up. Mei Ling pulled back, fearing he was going to beat her, but instead of striking out at her, the doctor rubbed his fat thumb against his first two pale fingers. Then he spun around and walked away. The doctor wanted something from her, but she still didn't know what. Mei Ling was left confused and frightened.
'a bribe,' the translator explained. 'for a payment he will keep your secret.' "

Afraid that Kai li will desert her when he finds that she has born a girl, Mei ling makes a Plan B, setting aside a little money and looking for a place to stay. She is amazed to find her husband is delighted with their daughter.
P.156:
"she gestured to kai li, raising up their daughter, offering the small package to her father. His eyes grew wide.
'come, sit. Hold your daughter,' she directed her husband.
Cautiously he lowered himself. She placed the infant in his arms. Kai li stared in wonder at their Joy.
Finally he spoke, his voice hoarse with emotion. 'I didn't get to see my son when he was born. I missed too much. With this one I won't miss anything.'
Bo leaned against mei ling and patted the precious baby in Kai li's arms. Mei ling squeezed his small Body and kissed the top of his head. She smiled at her husband, holding little Joy, her heart exploding with happiness."

Kai li and mei limg are able to help Sieu escape from her indentured servitude. But Sieu's Uncle Suk keeps coming to mei ling's house in the middle of the night, drunk. One night, mei ling decides to take care of the danger he represents to Sieu, once for all.
P.257-8:
She studied his face, looking for deceit, but saw none. Relief and gratitude ran a chill through her whole body. Mei ling's worst fear was not true. Siew hadn't been brutally violated.
'she was a little girl. No. No. no.' Suk Suk shook his head. 'We aren't monsters.'
She stared at him. Disgust in her voice, she whispered, 'you can tell yourself that, but that doesn't make it true. you are a coward and a monster to force Siew to pay for your weakness.'
He closed his eyes and turned his face away. He had the decency to look ashamed, but he seemed oblivious to the danger he was in. He entirely underestimated Mei ling.
suk Suk brought the bottle to his lips, tipping it back until it pointed to the sky and his head bent all the way back.
"bah!' He growled at the empty bottle. He tossed it into the estuary. Mei Ling watched it float away, toward the bay.
He draped his arm over her shoulder like he owned her. She tensed but resisted the urge to push it off. His breathing grew heavy. His arm dropped away and his head fell forward.
Still she waited. when she heard soft snores, she gazed around to confirm they were alone. then she reached behind him and firmly wrapped a hand around each of suk suk's arms and ever so slightly leaned him forward. She studied him for a reaction or resistance, but there was none. She tipped him farther, his weight pressing at her fingers. She paused at the last possible moment, knowing this was her final chance to change her mind. Her heart beat hard; her hands were moist. Siew's other mother whispered, you must save siew.
Mei Ling looked up to heaven and said, 'god, forgive me if you can. If you cannot, I won't regret this choice as I burn in hell... Or I'm haunted for all of eternity.'
The ghost commanded, do it!
She tipped Suk suk farther forward until he fell through her fingers. Her chest exploded.
She heard a loud Splash in the estuary and then a feeble cry. 'help. Help me,' suk suk's frantic voice called to her.
'I'm coming,' she spoke to the darkness. 'I'll get you out.'
but she didn't move. Mei Ling stayed on the edge of the dock, her legs dangling over the side. her body pounded with emotion while tears poured down her face, and her shoulders shook with each Sob.
'help!' desperation filled the drowning man's voice. She imagined the burning in his chest as it filled with water. compassion welled up in mei Ling even though this man had been willing to trade Siew to ensure his own well-being.
'coming...,' She lied once again, her voice shaking. She pictured the terror on his face, his head bobbing up and down in the salty water.
Coughing, splashing, and 'help' echoed up at her, a little farther away now. The current was carrying suk suk toward the bay as he drowned.

I love the character mei ling. She was handed such a s***** situation, but she stayed true to herself and made the best of things. She was a loving mama to her biological baby, to her husband's little boy, and to the orphan girl Siew. ( )

My family is notoriously tight-lipped especially about our family history. I hear snippets here and there and a lot is left up to my imagination. Or in this case, Laila Ibrahim's imagination.

Laila writes a convincing story of a paper wife, one who is a wife on a fake paper, for her family. With this paper, she becomes a mother and wife of a merchant and moves to San Francisco in 1923.

I liked this book. I liked the main characters, and especially Siew. The characters were painted tenderly with some interesting stories and motivations behind them.




( )

Mei Ling cannot believe that today is the day that she is leaving to wed a man she has never met, and to sail to a new country. To the land of gold, California. She is sad, but this will be good for her family, this matchmaker is well known for what she does and she cannot let her family or sister down. She must be strong and do as asked, although fear is coursing through her.

In order to get into the country, she must pretend to be her husband's first wife - known as a paper wife. She must take on her identity and know all there is about her and her knew husband, Kai Li. She cannot believe what is happening, did her family know this is how it worked and what would happen? But she must honor her family and what they've done to give her this secure future. Plus, there is Kai's son Bo to now think about, now her son.

As they voyage over the ocean, Bo makes a friend with a girl Siew. Siew has seemed to be left on her own and soon attaches herself to them. The girl is very well behaved, helps with Bo and seems mature beyond her six years old. Once they get to the new land, she is put under strict questioning and fears she will be sent back to China.

Hearing her name called, and that she is going on the next ship to San Francisco gives way to relief. She has passed, as this other "wife", and soon she will be reunited with her husband to start her new life. Although her and Bo are sad and worried to leave Siew behind. But Mei Ling has a lot to figure out herself, and so she tries to put aside Siew in hopes that she has family here waiting for her.

As Mei Ling and Bo finally get reunited with Kai Li and they go "home", she realizes that things don't appear as what her and her family were told from the matchmaker. Her husband is not really this successful merchant as lead to believe, but just a houseboy himself. She cannot believe what is happening. So far everything has been a lie, even herself.

Mei Ling is determined to honor the vows she made, and her family and their beliefs and does what she can to honor her husband and be a good wife. Soon, they will have another person to look after as well. She is unsure about this, as Kai Li is not a very open person. It's like the two of them dance around life each day.

She realizes, she cannot get Siew out of her mind and needs to know the girl is safe. After talking with her husband, he agrees that he will put some feelers out and see what he can find out. As the two work together, truths and lies come to light about both of them but they both have agreed to make the best of things and to honor the other.

Will Mei Ling and Kai Li be able to make a life for themselves and be happy raising these children, or will they have to learn to just live with each other due to the arrangement that was made, and their heritage in honoring their family beliefs? Can love love come out of such an arrangement, and relationship started on a bed of lies?

Laila never disappoints in her novels! The storylines just flow and this opened up my eyes to "paper-people". I had no idea that this was such a thing and how some people migrated here during the 1920's. It was also to read about all of the different laws, treaties and Acts that were put in to place to try and stop this and slow the amount of people immigrating. ( )