• Paper Wife

  • A Novel
  • By: Laila Ibrahim
  • Narrated by: Nancy Wu
  • Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (3,582 ratings)

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Paper Wife  By  cover art

Paper Wife

By: Laila Ibrahim
Narrated by: Nancy Wu
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Publisher's summary

From the bestselling author of Yellow Crocus comes a heart-wrenching story about finding strength in a new world.

Southern China, 1923. Desperate to secure her future, Mei Ling’s parents arrange a marriage to a widower in California. To enter the country, she must pretend to be her husband’s first wife - a paper wife.

On the perilous voyage, Mei Ling takes an orphan girl named Siew under her wing. Dreams of a better life in America give Mei Ling the strength to endure the treacherous journey and detainment on Angel Island. But when she finally reaches San Francisco, she’s met with a surprise. Her husband, Chinn Kai Li, is a houseboy, not the successful merchant he led her to believe.

Mei Ling is penniless, pregnant, and bound to a man she doesn’t know. Her fragile marriage is tested further when she discovers that Siew will likely be forced into prostitution. Desperate to rescue Siew, she must convince her husband that an orphan’s life is worth fighting for. Can Mei Ling find a way to make a real family - even if it’s built on a paper foundation?

©2018 Laila Ibrahim. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Paper Wife

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    2,195
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a heartwarming story

I wasn’t ready for this story to end. It’s the first one I have read of the Chinese indentured servants and left me with many facts I hadn’t known about Chinese culture and their way of life and religion. I listened on Audible and loved the way the story was told, with anyone speaking in English to the main character, sounding like gibberish, the way she probably heard it sound.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • PM
  • 05-12-19

Beautiful story

very well Written and narrated Heartwarming story suppose could be true today. I Highly recommend

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1 person found this helpful

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  • B
  • 12-20-18

I was emotionally invested after just a few pages!

Wonderfully written with engaging characters and the performance of Nancy Wu brought the story to life. I couldn’t stop listening and I was left wanting more. Laila Ibrahim best novel so far!

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1 person found this helpful

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Don’t miss this!

Beautiful story. Perfect narration. Inspiring words. A glimpse into Chinese culture and another era. I loved it from the beginning!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • J
  • 08-28-19

LOVED MEI LING!!! Great heroine❤

Could not have had a better narrator. Her tone and emotion were perfect for the portrayal of Mei Ling!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Paper wife

Avery good book.so interesting. Such good writing felt like
I was there with her so good

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Loved this beautiful story

Loved the story, the writing the redemption the inspiration. Can’t say enough good. Very well written.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story of Chinese immigration and motherhood

I truly enjoyed Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim. Mei Ling was a great example of a strong woman protecting her children, even those children who were not blood related. I had never realized people entered this country under assumed identities and that human trafficking happened even back in the 1920s. Mei Ling transformed from the beginning of the book to the end, but always stayed true to her dragon personality. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well told saga...

This story of the struggle of a Chinese immigrant family is well put together. The plot held my attention and was delightful to hear.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling

This book, and the fantastic narrator, kept me coming back to hear more—even when I needed to be doing other things. I loved the story and the ending.

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