Sophie Van Der Linden

This is a first novel by french author Sophie Van der Linden published in 2013. It was the next book on the shelves of my local library and proved to be a quick read of 140 pages. I would imagine it is aimed at the youth market, but I found it an interesting and thoughtful read. It takes place in China, but could probably be in any country where young girls are employed in fashion industry sweat shops. Mei at 17 years is one of a number of girls who are sold into employment by their families and work in a factory environment almost chained to their sewing machines. The are fed three times a day and sleep in a dormitory. They have no free time and the relentless pace of the work leaves them too tired to concentrate on anything else. The overseer on their factory floor keeps them all working to a certain rhythm, the speed of which, will depend on the urgency of the order for the work. The book does offer a glimpse into another world and a world that many of us might choose to ignore, as we select our next T shirt from the high street shop counters.

Mei dares to look her overseer in the eye when he criticises her work speed and from that moment on she is marked as a troublemaker, but a stoppage of her meagre wages does not allow her to travel home for the four day New Years holiday. She embarks upon an unexpected adventure during those precious four days. The book conjures up an atmosphere of a temporary freedom for Mei as she enjoys all the sights, sounds and smells of a release into another, more hopeful world. 3 stars.… (meer)