In 1895, at 26 years old, Donaldina Cameron arrived at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls in San Francisco, as a volunteer sewing instructor, for, what was supposed to be, one year, The Chinese girls she would teach were all victims of the slave trade.These girls, the escaped slaves, became known as #thepaperdaughters. Before 1874, escaped slaves had nowhere and nobody to turn to. At that time, Mrs. Samantha Condit, the wife of a Presbyterian minister assigned to Chinatown in San Francisco, finally succeeded in establishing The Women's Foreign Missionary Society, and, they rented a small apartment in #nobhill, and called it: The Occidental Mission Home for Girls. Donaldina arrived in 1895, and continued to work at the Home until 1934, when she retired. Even following her retirement she never fully left her #chinesedaughters, until her death in 1968.

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown, is a glimpse into the Donaldina Cameron"s life, over 13 years, at The Occidental Mission Home for Girls in San Francisco. In the book, Donaldina, with the help of her staff, rescue malnourished Chinese girls and nurse them back to life. Donaldina Cameron was not intimidated by the Chinese #tong (mafia) and risked her life over and over again, to rescue these girls from their abusers. It is incredible to imagine the heroism of Donaldina Cameron and her staff.

To this day, #sextrafficking of young girls persists, and the world is still not purged of this awful crime. Heather Moore, in her Author's Note, provides a clear overview of the history of the Chinese people in California, and in the afterword, places to contribute to stem the tide of human trafficking. Overall, this is an absolutely excellent read that I highly recommend. #5stars

Thank you #netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for my complimentary copy of #thepaperdaughtersofchinatown by Heather B. Moore in return for my honest review.

Wow. This book totally captivated me. I couldn’t put it down although some parts were just.so.tough to read! I had no idea about Chinese immigrants, these underground organizations and missions to save them. I found this part of history and so sad/heartbreaking/fascinating. I spent some time reading and researching after reading Paper Daughters. It is a book that really stuck with me. Anything I say in a review won’t do it justice. If you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend it.

Historical fiction novel; Strong thematic elements PG-13
Historical novel, with intrigue, and based on real people and events that bring the Occidental Mission home, the girls, and Donaldina Cameron, and the underbelly of this city into full portrait. HBM brings incidences, individuals, and the supporting characters in this history to vivid detail and drama.
Highlighting the struggles, highs, lows, and historical moments so vividly, you can feel the tension, fears, determination, and highs and lows of this portion of Donaldina Cameron's life, the spotlighted girls, and the Mission Home history.
Highly recommend if you love historical fiction.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are my own.

This story based on the true story of Dolly Cameron is breathtakingly beautiful. It envelops you from the beginning and you live and breath Dolly's story. Heather B. Moore certainly has a way with words! Dolly Cameron was a Scottish girl that came to America and ended up in Chinatown. She started working in a mission and ended up wrapped up in saving young Chinese girls who were tricked into being trafficked and hooked on opium to control these young girls. Dolly Cameron is a hero and I am glad I was able to read about this amazing woman. A beautiful historical fiction you should not pass up!

I first learned about paper wives and paper daughters in a different historical fiction story, and I knew it was a topic I wanted to know more about. When I came across this book, I knew this was what I had been searching for. This was a wonderful mix of fiction and real historic information. I felt like I was able to learn a lot and be swept away by a story.

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown focuses on Donaldina Cameron’s work at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls in San Francisco. We follow 15 years of her story in saving women and children from the clutches of opium dens and prostitution rings.

I loved the way the chapters flowed from one story to another. Sometimes the POV alternates between Donaldina and a young Chinese girl taken from her home and brought to San Francisco. Both perspectives are wonderful, and I loved the addition of the perspective from one of the girls.

Each chapter has a real excerpt from an interview, a newspaper article, or a journal. I really enjoyed these snippets of historical information. It helped to round out the story, and I thought it was such a wonderful addition to the book.

Donaldina, “Dolly”, was an amazing main character. She was easy to like, I mean who wouldn’t like a woman that breaks into brothels to rescue women asking for help? But, I really liked the way she is written. We get to see her struggles with her job, how she worries about what she should or shouldn’t do, how she takes risks to save just one life. She clearly becomes a woman to look up to, and I loved her.

My only complaint with the story is that at times, it moved too fast. It’s a fairly well-sized novel, so I don’t necessarily want it to be longer, but I wanted some portions of the story to have last a little longer, and have some additional information. The book spans 15 years, so there is a lot to talk about. I got connected to some of the girls, and I just wanted a bit more of their story.

Overall, I absolutely loved this one! It’s historical fiction that you can enjoy well-researched details and a great story!

I love fluffy romance stories, but every once in awhile, I crave a deeper book that's full of meaning, value, and leaves me touched. The Paper Daughters of Chinatown is real and raw, as it's based on true events. This book is all of that and more, and if historical fiction is a genre you enjoy, be sure to check this one out!

I had no idea how awful a lot of the conditions were in Chinatown in the early 1900s. I thought the only slaves in America were the ones brought here from Africa, but that's definitely not the case. Young girls, some even just children, were taken or families were lied to, in order to propel a drug and prostitution ring in the San Francisco area. This tale tells the story of a woman, Donaldina (aka Dolly) who works hard with a rescue mission in getting these girls out of this situation and giving them an education and place of refuge. The sad thing is, this type of horror, sex trafficking, still exists today and I know there are many foundations who are working tirelessly to rescue these girls.

Moore delivers a well-crafted book that is superbly written and allows to reader to dive into this time, over 100 years ago, to learn an important part of history, as well as come to know key historical figures in an intimate way. I love learning historical facts in this way and Moore is a master story teller, especially when it concerns the past. I was affected by this story and completely engrossed, both in trepidation and hope, and finished with a feeling of knowledge and power. I left wanting to do something and make a change for the present and the future, and feel if only for those reasons alone, Moore's offering is a big success.

Content: very mild romance; horrors of abuse, rape, prostitution, slavery (enough details to understand how bad it was, but nothing at all graphic); very mild religion

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown is historical fiction. It's based off true events from the life of Donaldina "Dolly" Cameron who served as the director for the Occidental Mission Home for Girls in San Francisco. The chapters alternate between Dolly's experiences and Mei Lien, a young woman who was told she was traveling to San Francisco to meet her husband, but was actually sold and forced to do despicable things.
Dolly starts as a sewing teacher for the girls at the Mission Home, but once she goes on rescues and see's the living conditions and hears the things these girls have had to endure she determines to live her life to help end human trafficking.
This story was beautifully told and enlightening to read. Heather B. Moore handles the topic with grace and respect. Several footnotes and excerpts from the journals of the Mission Home help to emphasize the severity of the circumstances. This would be a great read for history lovers, mature teenagers, or a discussion book. I would recommend 16 and up because of the mature subject matter.

I was super excited to start reading this, particularly because it’s a part of history I’ve never heard of before. It sounded incredibly interesting, and I love learning more about badass real women doing amazing things.

Enter Donaldina—Dolly—Camero, who takes a job at a mission home in San Francisco, helping save young Chinese girls and women who have been unknowingly sold into slavery, usually under the pretense of being married. Their families back home know nothing about their daughters being sold, assuming they are living great, happy lives. The events can be harrowing at times, as Dolly literally breaks into buildings to rescue girls and has to dodge the angry men who want their “property” back.

I will admit that sometimes events or characters felt thrown in randomly, possibly to adhere to the historical accuracy of Dolly’s life (though the author does fabricate some characters). Dolly’s sudden one-year trip around the world felt like one of these arbitrary things—it didn’t really add to anything in the story, though it was presumably added just to account for that gap in her life. The writing could also be bland at times, and none of the characters received the same kind of development as Dolly.

I am still thrilled I learned a new aspect of history and I did tear through most of this novel in one sitting, but it was ultimately a bit underwhelming.

This is a gripping tale based on real event in San Francisco in the 1890s. The characters are so real the reader becomes invested in their story. The heartbreaking truth of the ugly underbelly of society is a seedy backdrop to the tender story Moore is able to share.

What an incredible story!! The fact that it is seeped in truth made The Paper Daughters of Chinatown all the more heartbreaking and unbelievable, while at the same time being hopeful and inspiring.

This is the first historical fiction that I've read about the paper daughters, and the evil secrets of Chinatown, and sadly I've never heard of Donaldina Cameron but, after reading this book, she has become one of my hero's! Literally sacrificing her entire life for her "daughters" and fighting the sex trafficking and prostitution that permeated Chinatown in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Heather B. Moore handled this sensitive subject matter in an incredible way, not sugar coating the encounters and situations, but alluding to them in a way that leaves no question in the reader's mind about what transpired, painting painful portraits of abuse, and heroic rescues. The use of opium is prominent, as this drug was used to manipulate in the most painful way possible, leaving the paper daughters addicted and in a place of hopelessness. It's so painful to read, yet it's a problem that still persists today, and one that we all need to know.

Dolly's true life story is paralleled with the story of a fictional Chinese girl wanting to help give her mom a better life, and finds herself in the worst nightmare possible. I was entranced and enraged what she endured, knowing that even though she was fictitious, many girls and women have endured similar, if not worse, fates. Absolutely unimaginable...

I am so thankful to Heather B. Moore for shedding a needed light on such incredible women, and their worthy cause. The research that went into this novel shows on every page and you can really feel the author's passion on this subject. She includes all of her references, a list of books for further reading on the subject, and discussion questions for small group study. This would be a wonderful book club pick and a novel I could not put down!!

Thank you Heather B. Moore from the bottom of my heart for writing such an astonishing narrative that I cannot rave enough about! Though a dark subject matter, Donaldina Cameron and her unwavering faith shines through the pain and fear of many Chinese girls, her cause and light spreading hope and love in a community that so desperately needed it. What an incredible story!!

Most definitely, THE PAPER DAUGHTERS OF CHINATOWN is one of the more powerful stories I've read in all of 2020. This book describes the pain and horror that girls in Chinatown experienced during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Unfortunately, these horrors still occur today. It's a hard pill to swallow, knowing that human trafficking has been a blight on society, perhaps since the dawn of time. It's a fight that we will continue to fight, and heroes like Donaldina Cameron will emerge to help fight this terrible fight, and bring peace and safety to women and children all over the world.

I was impressed by the care Heather B. Moore took to tell this story. She did not go into detail about the horrors experienced, rather, focusing on the triumphs, and how even the darkest, most evil things we may face in life—we can still overcome them. It's a story of heroes and most importantly of hope. This is a story that needs to be told, and needs to be read by all. We can make a difference.

The Paper Daughter of Chinatown By Heather B Moore

Rating 4 / 5 Stars

Publication Date - 9/1/2020

** Thank you to Netgalley, Shadow Mountain, and of course, Heather B Moore, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot even begin to express how much I loved this book. Based on actual events, we follow Donaldina Cameron and the other brave women who helped Chinese-American women escape the California scene of discrimination and slavery within the 19th century.

Donaldina arrives in San Francisco in 1895, intending to teach sewing skills to young girls who recently immigrated from China. It isn’t long before she discovers the dark side of San Francisco. Through a shady underground organization, young Chinese women are brought to America and sold as slaves. Donaldina soon becomes a social reformer aiming to end this trade.

Mei Lien has been lied to from the moment she departed China. Told she would become a rich Chinese man’s wife, she instead finds herself sold into prostitution and forced opium addiction.

First, I loved the different history and the author’s incredible detail in this novel. In a world of eurocentric historical fiction, this book is a gem. The fact that this book was challenging at times did not make me want to stop reading. History has its light and dark, and we often forget the dark due to our level of comfort. Dolly’s character is terrific, and someone I saw myself connecting with in-depth. With the addition of Mei Lien, Moore’s storytelling only excels.

This story had me until the last page, and I cannot wait to recommend it to readers. I believe this is the perfect story to read for anyone looking for historically accurate reads, gripping storylines, and the constant fight for light in the corners of darkness.

This book was excellent. I don't even know where to start with praise. Heather B. Moore handled a tough subject with such finesse as to bring the reader into the story and feel the characters' pain, shame, and sorrow without detailing the abusive scenes so even the most circumspect of readers can read without the graphic detail one might expect on the topic of human trafficking. It was one of those books I couldn't put down. I belive she did the real life people she portrayed a great service by telling their story. Donaldina Cameron is one of my new heros for her tireless and dangerous work she did saving the Paper Daughters of Chinatown. I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.

#netgalley #thepaperdaughtersofchinatown

This book was so heart wrenching good, it was hard to put down. it was terrifying to read the horrors that these young girls went through, it shed light on the horrific history of china town. I'm so glad that there were people that were helping to combat the evil practices that were going on, this is an eye opening historical book for sure!

As a New Zealander, I was once again thrilled to learn of another heroine born amongst us. Although she only lived here for three years, Donaldina Cameron (wisely known as Dolly) was as heroic as Nancy Wake in the second world war. Dolly's war was against the criminal Tong of San Francisco's Chinatown, who effectively imported young Chinese girls to USA, under false pretenses, for use in their brothels for prostitution and slavery.

Dolly ran the Occidental Mission Home for Girls nearby and saved hundreds of these girls from cruel physical, sexual and emotional abuse. These “paper daughters,” so called because fake documents gain them entry to America but leave them without legal identity. The Occidental Mission Home for Girls is their safe haven from the shame and hardship, with Dolly and her staff putting themselves in great personal danger to liberate these girls.

A separate story line that ultimately unites with Dolly’s, is that of Mei Lien, a naïve young woman who was brought to America from China, with the expectation she’d marry. She leaves her mother behind in China, heading for this better life. Instead, she is cruelly kidnapped and forced into sex slavery, quickly becoming addicted to opium.

This is a novel but based on true life meticulously researched, Heather B Moore's book had me riveted from the first chapter. I loved to read of this heroine way ahead of her time in attitudes and actions. The house founded in 1874, still runs in San Francisco. Its mission is to empower generations of Chinese-American individuals and their families to fully participate in and contribute positively toward a healthy society. They put Christian faith into action to help people learn, heal, and thrive.

Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain for the chance to discover this history.

As I read the first few pages of the novel I worried that the writing was simple... but this turned out not to be a simple story at all. Reading the shocking tales of Chinese girls forced into slavery and prostitution, I had to remind myself over and over that this is based on true events! At the center of the plot is Dolly Cameron, a selfless missionary whose life’s purpose is to rescue and heal the young traumatized women of Chinatown’s brothels. I read this book in 5 hours, that is how desperate I was to know the whole story!

Would you be surprised to learn that slavery actually continued well into the 20th century? More than 1,000 young Asian women were illegally brought into the United States, enslaved, and forced to serve in brutal and abusive situations as domestic help and prostitutes. Traffickers would routinely visit poor villages in China and Japan and promise families that their daughters would be married into safe, prosperous families or that their daughters were going to find reliable employment in large, wealthy households. Since immigration laws forbade Chinese and Japanese women to enter the country without a direct family connection, young women were coached to remember false family lineages. Since these young women were not actually daughters or wives they were referred to as "paper daughters." In many cases, girls as young as eight or nine years old were forced into deplorable situations.

Donaldina Cameron was a young woman determined to make a difference. She went to San Francisco to work one year in a mission home serving rescued Chinese girls and women. After a year, she knew that she had found her calling in the mission and went on to work there for the rest of her life. Through her efforts, hundreds of young women were rescued from lives of degradation, abuse, and pain. This inspiring and engaging story would be an excellent choice for high school students and up.

I had never heard of the trafficking of Chinese girls back in the late 1800s. This was such an eye-opening read. Based on true events, the story of Donaldina Cameron and other ladies at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls is amazing. They risk everything to rescue and protect these girls who have been taken from their home to a life of slavery and prostitution. It's just heart-breaking. But the courage and determination of those involved is inspiring. This was an enlightening read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the history.

A historical fiction based very largely in fact as Donaldina Cameron is a historical figure who fought the slavery of young women in San Francisco. She entrenched herself in the middle of Chinatown in San Francisco and rescued young women from horrible lives and gave them skills in hopes to ensure better futures for each of them.

My favorite thing about reading historical fiction is when I can read about a new time and place and learn things in an interesting way. Before reading this book I knew of human trafficking and knew that it had a long history, but I was so unaware of the amount of Chinese women who came to America with their families believing they were doing the right thing for them and their children and instead they were sending them to a horrible life.

There are so many success stories in this book which helped when reading the horrible rescues and the situations these girls lived in. The fact that there was hope if they could get out of the situations they were placed in then through the mission and Dolly Cameron their lives could go in different directions.

I would love to read more books in this time and place as it felt unique compared to the many World War II books in this genre!

I cannot begin to tell the way The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore affected my heart as I read this story based on the true account of Donaldina Cameron. This book was truly one of the most compelling and beautifully written books I have had the privilege of reading. The care that the author took with researching the characters and their lives and trials was easily seen throughout this well-written story. It was heart-rending, but joyful in a way that can only come with seeing the goodness and strength of people who care more for the lives of helping others than they do for themselves. I knew nothing of the human trafficking that existed in California during this time, so I enjoyed learning more of the history of San Francisco and Chinatown. What amazing people Donaldina Cameron and the many who helped rescue these girls and women were. I definitely recommend this book. It is very inspiring!
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.