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Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
Abandoned China Dolls by Maria Miller is a story that will tug at the heartstrings of any mother, or father. Brent and Ashley have a good marriage and both have jobs they enjoy, although they are unable to complete their family with a child. Brent is asked to move to China for a while to help train up new staff in his company’s office over there. Ashley doesn’t want to go but she allows herself to be uprooted. While Brent settles into his job, working long hours, Ashley finds it hard to settle in. Eventually, a motherly woman in Brent’s office suggests a maid, a woman who can befriend Ashley so they welcome Yu to the family. While she initially struggles to get Ashley to do anything, eventually she persuades Ashley to go to the market. There Ashley spies a heart-stopping sight – young girls, caged and for sale. She buys the two that are there and, although Brent is against the idea, shortly after she buys four more. The story follows the decisions they must make and the resulting consequences of those decisions.
In Abandoned China Dolls, Maria Miller has covered a controversial subject and has told the story well. I found it heart-warming and moving, a book that kept my attention all the way through. It’s clear that Maria Miller has done her homework and has skilfully woven fact into a novel that is true to life, a real page-turner. I wish it could have been a bit longer because I felt a lot was left unsaid but, that said, it is still a great story.
