Secret Life of Maeve Lee Kwong Book

Maeve's safe world is torn apart when her mother dies in a car crash. Adopted by her strict Chinese grandparents and forced to leave Australia, she fights to hold onto the things she loves most—her two best friends, her dancing, and her baby brother Ned. Secretly she pins her hopes on her Irish father, who doesn't even know she exists. From Sydney to Hong Kong to Ireland, Maeve searches for a path to follow and a place to belong. Written with humor and sensitivity, Maeve’s journey of self-discovery among her distinct heritage and different cultures is beautifully rendered.

VOYA

Thirteen-year-old Maeve enjoys a comfortable life in Sydney, Australia. She lives with her fun-loving, artistic, Chinese mom, kindhearted stepfather, and baby half-brother. But Maeve's world is violently torn apart when her mother is killed in a car accident and her stepfather is unable to care for her. When her stern maternal grandparents take her to their high-rise apartment to live, Maeve is heartsick. She misses her best friends, Bianca and Steph, her school, her old home, and especially her brother. She loves her grandparents, but she has never felt particularly close to them, and she feels painfully disconnected from her old life. Sensing her unhappiness, Maeve's grandparents allow her to return to her former school as a boarder so she can be closer to her friends and brother. Meanwhile Maeve is becoming increasingly curious about her Irish father, whom she has never met. She uses a class trip to Ireland as a chance to find him. It turns out that he is married with a young daughter and did not know that Maeve existed. He and his family nonetheless accept Maeve with open arms, and he is able to give her more insight into her beloved mother's past. This joyous, colorful novel explores the deep connections a person shares with others and with one's own history and delves into the wonderful strength and support friends and family members can offer in the face of tragedy. Murray's main characters are superbly developed, and her teen characters, especially Maeve, are truly delightful. Reviewer: Dotsy Harland