Received as a Christmas present from my bookgroup.

The story starts in 2001, and tells of three sisters (Three, Five and Six), who travel from the countryside to make their way in the big city of Nanjing. Since their parents never had boys - despite flaunting the "one child" rule - the girls have brought shame on their family, and they only warrant being given their birth order as names. The first two children have either committed suicide or been married off, and Four is deaf and dumb, so it is Three, Five and Six who go to the city. Each girl ends up getting a job that turns out to be suited to her skills - Three works in a restaurant, Five in a spa and Six in a tea house. Each learn a level of independence, as well as gaining self respect from being in the city and earning their own way.

rest of review at
https://nordie.wordpress.com/2015/07/04/book-review-miss-chopsticks-by-xinran-tr...

Xinran, autora del aclamado libro Nacer mujer en China, ha obtenido reconocimiento internacional gracias a su extraordinario talento para trasladar al lector al corazón mismo de la sociedad china. En Tres, Cinco y Seis, nos narra la sencilla pero a la vez divertida y conmovedora historia de tres hermanas que, como tantos otros emigrantes, abandonan la vida en el campo para probar fortuna en la gran ciudad.Las hermanas Tres, Cinco y Seis no cuentan con muchos estudios, pero sí hay algo que saben a ciencia cierta: su madre es un fracaso como mujer porque no ha dado a luz ningún varón y, por tanto, el único nombre que ellas merecen es un número. Cuando dejan atrás su hogar para buscar trabajo en Nankín, la intimidante ciudad se descubre ante ellas y les abre los ojos: atascos de tráfico, edificios altísimos, actitudes desinhibidas, maravillas gastronómicas..., y el curioso mundo del trabajo. Tres descubre que su extraordinario talento creativo contribuye al éxito de un pequeño local de comida rápida, mientras que Cinco y Seis adquieren nuevos conocimientos: la primera, en un balneario, y la segunda, en una tetería para amantes de los libros. Poco a poco, cada una iráencontrando su lugar en el mundo pero? ¿qué sucederá cuando tengan que volver a casa?

Delightful book containing the stories of poor peasant girls going to live in the city. There is a remarkable innocence in China but at times and especially for girls there can be tragedy. That said,delightful book! ( )

Loved it for its simplicity and insight into the contemporary Chinese society. ( )

Miss Chopsticks by Xinran is a story about three sisters who come to the city of Nanjing from their rural farm and learn to adapt to a new lifestyle. Sisters Three, Five and Six don’t have much education and they have been raised to consider themselves rather worthless. Their father didn’t even bother giving them names, just numbers. While male children are considered “roof-beams” as they grow to support their family, females are called ‘chopsticks” meaning disposable and unable to offer any lasting support.

This book is like looking through a window into the culture and customs of modern China. There is so much detail that I found the book read more like non-fiction. Indeed, the author based her three sisters on the lives of three individual Chinese women that she had met and interviewed. The three sisters find work in a fast food restaurant, a health centre and a bookshop/cafe, but unfortunately these characters are never developed in any meaningful way causing the story to lack emotional depth. It was a very interesting read however, giving us a hopeful insight into how women in today’s China are empowering themselves.

Although I wasn’t able to become emotionally invested in Miss Chopsticks, I did find it a refreshing read as the story was upbeat and positive. The author describes how these country girls adapt to life in the big city and become valuable to their family. It was also highly interesting to see China portrayed in such an optimistic and engaging way. ( )