52 books 24

24.  Factory girls by Leslie T. Chang

Written by an American Chinese journalist, this book follows the journeys of mainly two girls from their rural villages to one of the many factory cities of China.It details the community of factory life and how through frequent moves from one factory to another women's lives can slowly improve or sometimes collapse and how the money they earn can help lift whole families out of poverty. The contrast between their rural lives at home and the struggle to educate themselves to improve their prospects is a focus of the book.Meticulously researched it paints an accurate picture of the changing face of China,interspersed with the authors search for her own Chinese roots. I loved this book.