Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok is a novel about a girl who has always been awkward, clumsy, not good in school and ends up washing dishes in the restaurant where her father is the noodle maker.
Her younger, smarter, more beautiful sister helps her find a job working in a Ballroom dancing studio and suddenly her whole life and self image begin to change. Kwok is a great writer, she creates well drawn characters that we can't help but care for, and draws us completely into their world.
I loved Kwok's earlier novel, Girl in Translation a bit more, but Mambo is still a really good read. It just felt a little to easy for Charlie, the protagonist, to transform so completely in such a short time.
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