The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

Review of The Fire Horse Girl

Title & Author:
The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman
Publisher:
Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date:
January 01, 2013
Pages:
336
Source:
Finished copy from Publisher

A fiery and romantic adventure, perfect for fans of Grace Lin, Kristen Cashore, or Lisa See!

Jade Moon is a Fire Horse — the worst sign in the Chinese zodiac for girls, said to make them stubborn, willful, and far too imaginative. But while her family despairs of marrying her off, she has a passionate heart and powerful dreams, and wants only to find a way to make them come true.

Then a young man named Sterling Promise comes to their village to offer Jade Moon and her father a chance to go to America. While Sterling Promise’s smooth manners couldn’t be more different from her own impulsive nature, Jade Moon falls in love with him on the long voyage. But America in 1923 doesn’t want to admit many Chinese, and when they are detained at Angel Island, the “Ellis Island of the West,” she discovers a betrayal that destroys all her dreams. To get into America, much less survive there, Jade Moon will have to use all her stubbornness and will to break a new path . . . one as brave and dangerous as only a Fire Horse girl can imagine. – Goodreads

Okay, so before picking up The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman, I hadn’t heard too much about it. I knew April loved it and I knew that it was a debut and historical fiction and full of all sorts of elements I love, so I had an inkling it would be a ME book.

And that inkling was totally right! The Fire Horse Girl is one of those books that should just be leaping from the shelf into the hands of readers everywhere, because I think it has something that would appeal to any reader. There’s historical fiction, multiculturalism, a super strong heroine, and a dash of romance. And that’s putting it simply because The Fire Horse Girl is not a super simple book – it’s complex and full of emotions and a protagonist that stands up for herself.

I feel like if I had been in Jade Moon’s shoes – China in a time where girls aren’t respected and she’s the least respected of all because of the year she just happened to be born in – I would have been way more timid and doormat-y. It’s a lot to handle, but Jade Moon doesn’t let her supposed curse hold her back. Or like someone said to her, “You are dangerous – we are cursed.” That’s not verbatim because the book is in the other room, but that’s the gist of it and man wasn’t that mean? But Jade Moon took control of her destiny and I just loved that.

The culture in The Fire Horse Girl was very well done. I loved learning about the time period, especially from the eyes of another culture. There’s a lot we don’t learn from American history textbooks and I think The Fire Horse Girl is an important perspective to keep in mind. But the story wasn’t weighed down by the historical bits, either – Kay Honeyman really balanced fact with fiction.

I loved The Fire Horse Girl because of the importance I think it has – it’s inspiring, it’s educational, it’s moving. I thought Kay Honeyman’s debut was brilliantly done – entertaining and eye-opening all at once. If you’re looking for a book that is absolutely engaging with a ballsy protagonist and a story that makes you think while keeping you entertained, I highly recommend The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman.

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