Synopsis:
Mia Tang and her parents are Chinese immigrants. But, living in America isn’t the dream they imagined. Her parents have a job managing a motel. It’s all they can do to keep up with the cleaning, so Mia runs the front desk. She turns out to be really good at the job. Mia has a gift for making connections with the guests, and solving problems. Nevertheless, Mr. Yao, the horrid refuses to pay them fairly or even take precautions for their safety. It seems they’re trapped in a terrible situation, until Mia finds out about an essay contest with a motel as a prize.
My thoughts:
I love Mia as a protagonist. She calls out all the unfairness and prejudices that her family faces while still maintaining the optimism of a child. When she sees an injustice she finds a way to solve it. I also found some of her misunderstandings due to language or her age, entertaining. Overall, it’s an entertaining read which also addresses deeper themes.