Thirteen-year-old Wen lives in a house governed by rage and fear. As the first-generation daughter of Chinese migrant parents, she is expected to keep her head down and focus solely on her studies. While life at home is spent under her parents’ watchful gaze, Wen secretly spends her time at school studying with her close friend Henry for a place at a select-entry high school, something that they believe could launch them into a future ripe with opportunity. Two weeks before the school’s entrance exam, however, tragedy strikes, leaving Henry reclusive and shut off from the outside world. It is up to Wen to seek the help of her parents, and coax her friend out of his shell so that they can realise their dreams.

Tiger Daughter is an insightful portrayal of the Australian migrant experience that will feel familiar to many readers. Wen’s father, previously a medical practitioner in China, has no choice but to spend his nights waiting tables at the local Chinese restaurant to earn a measly income. Meanwhile, her mother spends her days cooking and cleaning the house while caring for Wen, having long ago abandoned her former life as a socialite. As Wen works to break out of a life that has been prescribed for her, she too begins to challenge the cultural conceptions that have long held her family back.

The novel does not shy away from tackling heavy topics around mental health, parental pressure and racial abuse, but it also weaves in tender moments full of compassion and hope. Rebecca Lim has written a powerful Own-Voices story about perseverance and determination that will completely and utterly win over readers’ hearts. For ages 11+.

Xiao Xiao Kingham works as a bookseller at Readings Kids.