The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

Next up is another historical fiction novel.  Kay Honeyman's The Fire Horse Girl starts in China.  It's during the 1920s, and the country is in turmoil and just on the brink of the Cultural Revolution.  Many Chinese are fleeing their homeland, but immigrating to the United States is difficult, especially for women.

The main character is a young girl living with her father, grandfather, and housekeeper.  Her mother died during childbirth, and this young baby's destiny gets even worse as she's born during the worst year in the Chinese Astrological Calendar - the Year of the Fire Horse.  All of the bad characteristics seem magnified in Jade as she grows up in her tiny village.  Her strong will fuels her dreams of a better life for herself.  She wants adventure!

Next on the scene is Sterling Promise, who convinces the men of the house that Jade's uncle (her father's older brother) adopted him with plans of going to America before he passed away.  Sterling needs Jade's father to make the journey with him so a business deal could be completed.  He has all the necessary paperwork in order for Jade's father to pass as his older brother.  This is important because at the time Chinese immigrants were detained on Angel Island before being allowed into the US or being deported back to China.  After the San Francisco earthquake, all documents were burned, and this made it easier for Chinese immigrants to claim they were really US citizens.  However, US immigration officers would detain the Chinese in order to question them.  These questions would prove if they were really US citizens or not.  Sterling's paperwork was the "story" they would use during the interrogations at Angel Island.  They had to study and memorize it, so when asked they would know all the important details and not get mixed up.  Jade's father does not want to go, but Jade does.  Finally Sterling persuades her father into going by allowing Jade to go as well.

The story of Jade has many ups and downs.  You get to meet some interesting characters and read about life in China and for the Chinese settling in San Francisco during the 1920s.  It is obvious Sterling is a con, but, remember, Jade is strong willed.  She's a fire horse girl!