Lihua never could have imagined that the birth of a little brother would end the life she knew. Raised in a poor country village, Lihua prayed her parents would have a son to bring peace and balance to the family. But she did not foresee how living in such poverty would force her parents to face a terrible choice they once made that would now cost Lihua everything.Suddenly told to leave her home, … to leave her home, Lihua begins a treacherous journey alone. After being attacked on the road the first day, an unlikely hero comes to her aid: a panda she decides to call Panpan. Bound together for love and survival, Lihua and Panpan travel together through the mountains and forest of western China as Lihua struggles to find her new place in the world.
A Girl and her Panda is part the Animal Companion series, but each book is a stand-alone novel with new characters and adventures.
ZOEY GONG was born and raised in rural Hunan Province, China. She has been studying English and working as a translator since she was sixteen years old. Now in her early twenties, Zoey loves traveling and eating noodles for every meal. She lives in Shenzhen with her cat, Jello, and dreams of one day disappointing her parents by being a Leftover Woman (剩女).
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This is another companion animal story. Lihua, the only child and girl of the family prays to the ancestors for her family to have a boy. Little did she know that her heartfelt desire for her family would change everything. Too poor to raise two children she finds herself on her own with her entire world completely upturned. Alone and traveling there are many dangers for A young girl to have and chance encounter with some fearsome men leads her to Panpan and her protection. Together a girl and her panda form a bond that shows love and friendship helps heal despite being different species.
This is a tale to delight young and older readers alike. I look forward to sharing with my daughter to read. Heartfelt and genuine tale of a girl finding her own inner strength, friendship and what it means to finally come home.
Lihua is ecstatic to discover she’s to become a big sister; however, when the baby boy arrives, her world is shattered. Lihua is abandoned by the only family she knows, both emotionally and physically, when she is informed she was stolen as a child. Now that the true heir has been born, her worth to her parents has plummeted. Extremely poor, the family has decided they can’t raise two children, so Lihua must go. Distraught, Lihua runs away, into the surrounding forest….
With little more than the clothes on her back and the shoes on her feet, Lihua soon finds herself lost and alone. Frightened, but determined to continue, Lihua unexpectedly meets a female panda, Panpan, who had also recently suffered a loss. The adversities these two face and overcome is… well, you’ll have to read it for yourself.
The prose of Zoey Gong is lyrical, smooth and sweet. The challenges her characters face are daunting, and yet somehow they persevere. The differences in the culture presented in this story vs. the American way of life are startling and heartbreaking. Be prepared for tears and cheers, as this is another amazing tale of a young girl growing, and learning, and creating her own way in the world, by following her own path to happiness and fulfillment.
I was given an ARC in exchange for a voluntary review.
FANTASTIC!!!
When Lihua is forced to leave home, my heart just broke for her. It’s a hard life, on her own. She finds a companion in Panpan, a panda.
Oh. My. Goodness. This was SO impressive! WHAT a fantastic book! Such good character development, such an adventure! And moving! There aren’t enough exclamation marks in the world for me to express how I feel about this book!!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I received no remuneration for it.
This book was amazing. So tragic and yet so beautiful. Some parts are so sad you can’t believe they would really happen, yet they do. The panda aspect is almost a fantasy, but so realisitic at the same time! Really incredible writing and a wonderful story.
I started this book in the morning and couldn’t put it down until it was done, which was by the end of the day. This is an extremely heartbreaking story of a culture that many of us cannot understand. I am a mother of two boys whom I would not trade for the world but if I had a daughter, she would mean no less to me. This also broke some long-standing myths that I’ve heard about Pandas. So prepare with a box of tissue and time to finish because it will be difficult to put down once you start.
I also was fascinated by the religion of the country and the political views. While extremely different views on both accounts from my own, as well as how I believe all children, including daughters, should be treated, I love the amount of knowledge I gained in all of these areas while being entertained in a great story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Animal Companions Boxed Set 1 – 3: These are well written stories by a nonnative English speaker; she did an excellent job writing in English. Expect tears as well as joy from each of these stories. The storylines and characters are well thought out and the vivid descriptions introduce the reader to two worlds not common to outsiders. Girls are not valued by these societies and these three stories are wonderful, heartwarming, heartbreaking and show what actually is important in life.
The stories are clean, and the violence and hardships faced are suitable for children. Less violent than The Call of the Wild, which is a good book for children of all ages. I found Ms. Gong’s books on Booksprout. Minor editing needed, but nothing distracting, and these books are actually better edited than what passes for edited nowadays. 5 stars.
A Girl and Her Elephant – Interesting, likable characters that have honor and try to do the right thing in the face of adversities. Safi has a wonderful personality. Emotional, smooth flowing and well written filled with suspense and plenty of love and determination. 5*
A Girl and Her Panda – Another heart wrenching story that easily makes the tears flow, but leaves heartwarming feelings. The emotions run the gamut as this story flows through the pages leaving the reader immersed in this heartbreaking story. Again, the characters are interesting and likable, and filled with determination in the face of great adversity. PanPan is an amazing personality. 5*
A Girl and Her Tiger – I found this story a bit unrealistic, main character wise. Her actions are impulsive and emotional, therefore, not thinking of the consequences from her actions, and she does bring destruction in her wake. Her relationship with the tiger is wonderful, but she’s dangerous for the tiger also. This story doesn’t seem to have the flow of Elephant and Panda, and it was difficult to accept her when she was really out of control.
She does persevere through many ordeals and shows her fighting spirit and determination. The real British influence on her India blows her mind completely after trying to bring a British criminal to justice. She should grow up to be a major force, if she can overcome her emotions and let logic rule. I know India’s history and culture and this book rings true on the history. 4*