China Doll by Talia Carner is the story of a celebrity with
skeletons in her closet, thrust willingly into a political saga between
two nations for the sake of one abandoned child. Nola Sand's musical
talent has brought her stardom beyond her wildest dreams. Far beyond
her meager childhood provisions, Nola has carved a life of luxury owing
to her fame. Her manager, also her husband, ensures that her every whim
is catered to, if not by him, then by an entourage of personnel
contracted to follow Nola around the globe.
Just as Nola is beginning to sense something missing from her
life, a carefully planned photo opportunity outside Tiennamen Square
brings a bundle to her arms that carries far more than its own weight
in controversy. A desperate mother entrusts the care of her baby girl
to the American vocalist. Nola senses the mother's distress and
immediately falls into the role of caretaker for the infant. As the two
become familiar with each other, secrets from Nola's past begin to
resurface and prompt her to make amends for past shortcomings. She
decides to adopt little "Lulu" and take her back to the United States
when she returns.
But even a celebrity of Nola's status cannot control the
Communist regime of a government hell-bent on maintaining the facade
they have orchestrated for their people. Her title of Goodwill
Ambassador to China contrasts with her public disclosure of "the dying
rooms," Chinese orhpanages where female infants and children with
deformities are drugged to quiet their cries as they are left
unattended to waste away from neglect and malnutrition or sold as
"prostitutes" to the underbelly of China. The Chinese government wants
Nola quieted, and they will deny her adoption of Lulu to ensure her
cooperation. United States officials prove to be just as deviant and
unrelenting as they try to maintain their own relations with China and
refuse to rock the boat. One pampered woman finds herself in a bloody
battle with two governments, each determined to do whatever necessary
to promote their own agendas.
Just when Nola believes herself to be utterly alone and
defenseless in a foreign country, aid arrives. Daniel Chen, US Cultural
Attache to China, is a man living between two worlds. His Chinese
ancestry allows him access to the downfalls of a communist regime, but
his obligation to maintaining relations between the United States and
China leave him unable to vocalize his opposition. He has found an
outlet for that voice in Nola Sands, but has placed her life and career
in jeopardy. On the run in an alien environment, Daniel is Nola and
Lulu's only hope for escape.
Carner brilliantly weaves this tale of courage by alternating
from Nola's present day circumstances to glimpses of her past and the
tribulations that molded her into the woman she is. Shocking secrets
are revealed perfectly in tune with keeping the reader hooked and
desperate to find out what happens next. Nola isn't the only one with
secrets. Every character, every government seems to carry its own
baggage that catches the reader off guard and evokes passionate
emotions. Nola is truly a heroine in her own right, created from humble
beginnings that make her easy to relate to despite her celebrity
status.
Author
Web Site A
donation from the sale of each book will be made to groups working to
improve the conditions in Chinese orphanages.
