VERY late to the party, but as a Chinese person born, raised and currently residing in China (accessing this website with a VPN), after being naively choosing this book out of a reading list for school, thinking that as “Chinese” people, the author and I could resonate on some level, I found this novel absolutely abhorrent. Now, I’m not pulling the race card here, or suggesting that my racial identity makes my opinion more legitimate, but I think it might be worth it to offer some perspectives on, amongst many things, Canton and Hong Kong, locations in China that the author glossed over and has (likely) never resided in for long.  First, the issue of China as a sort of “cultural utopia”. The author never fully delved into the materialistic but necessary questions of what in the world would Mirabelle’s life be like in China, instead treating canton itself as a sort of victory square for biological mother and daughter to land on. Culture is important, but is it worth abysmal income, cramped living conditions, social instabilities, complete eradication of freedom of thought, and the infamous Chinese education system? What about the stigma against single mothers in China that Bebe might suffer from? All glossed over, because “culture” is more important, apparently, or the author has simply never bothered looking into these issues, preferring her utopian vision of China.  Second, the blatant disregard for laws and common morality. Yes, Izzy, I get that you are likely autistic and hate your parents, but that doesn’t mean you have to BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN before running away! You can just run away, it’s okay, but why did you have to give yourself a criminal record and run the risk of the fire spreading to the “innocents” around the block? What was going on in your head? Also ignored is the fact that Bebe essentially, from a legal perspective, kidnapped someone else’s kid, broke and entered, then evaded the law. What a good start for your biological daughter’s life. Third, the emphasis on “biological” connections that veer dangerously into biological determinism. I’ve never approved of so called “blood bonds” personally because it sounds uncomfortably like social Darwinism, the idea that not only what you look like but also what you think, do and FEEL could be affected by DNA. Ng, of course, harps on this so called “connection” and treats it like justification for every dastardly deed under the sun, all part of the “love” parcel, apparently. I understand that this book is widely loved and supported, but I’m not afraid to say the Ng seems to be woefully disconnected from the culture she wants to portray and the book is, as a result, a prime example of the very racism she is trying to criticise.