Praise From Published Authors
…a very good novel…vivid…
“The contrast between the contemporary realities of the pop music business and the wrenching tragedy of dying, discarded children combines to create a stark, vivid landscape of human cruelty. As in all good novels—and this is a very good novel—it is the powerful courage of one person wherein is found a measure of hope. It wasn’t even my heart that ached when I read CHINA DOLL—it was my arms—my arms longed to hold every child in its impassioned pages.”
—Wendy Reid Crisp, author of When I Grow Up I Want To Be 60 and From the Back Pew
…spicy, worldly, and meticulously researched…exciting…
“Spicy, worldly, and meticulously researched, this novel rivets our attention on Nola, a celebrity whose life turns upside down as she attempts to save a baby from the dying rooms in China, and journeys through the intriguing complexities of Chinese-American relations, corporate greed, and pop world machinations. To the author’s credit, the exciting twists and turns of the plot make the pages fly by, but it is the steady voice of human wisdom that guides the character development and enlightens the reader all the way through.”
—Susan Anderson, author of The Journey from Abandonment to Healing and The Black Swan
…intricate, psychologically-nuanced…fast and quickening pace…
“In CHINA DOLL, Talia Carner has crafted an intricate, psychologically-nuanced portrait of a mother’s love, the source from which it grows, and the strength that endures. With a fast and quickening pace throughout, the story gathers momentum at each of the many twists and turns. The use of a second narrative thread, essentially the shadow of the first, adds character and interest as well as understanding. This is a book in layers, inviting a reader to discovery.”
—Frank Murphy, author of The Last Protest and Silence of Great Distance
…a page-turning, globe-spanning adventure…
“Against both the timeless beauty and cutthroat attitudes that pervade China, author Talia Carner has created a page-turning, globe-spanning adventure. Set in two incompatible worlds—the music industry and China’s orphanages—this is a deftly crafted story of an unwitting pop star driven by a baby to become a formidable heroine.”
—Annie Blachley, correspondent, The New York Times and The Sacramento Bee, and author of Good Medicine
…a deft page-turner… an absorbing, often chilling…
“Talia Carner has written a deft page-turner that spans the globe and nearly every major institution in it, from entertainment to government. CHINA DOLL is an absorbing, often chilling, story of human rights and human hearts.”
—Maryanne Stahl, author of Forgive The Moon and The Opposite Shore
…engrossed, turning pages…accessible but important fiction…
“Like PUPPET CHILD, this book had me thoroughly engrossed, turning pages into the wee hours of the night. …Carner has done her homework here. Her research shapes and enhances the story, but her passion for justice brings it alive. This is accessible but important fiction…”
—Susan O’Neill, author of Don’t Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam
Praise From Independent Book Reviewers
- NY Metro Parent Magazine
Carefully researched…psychological exploration…
“Carner’s storytelling shines a light on the complicated world of celebrity, government relations and human rights abuses. One of the many layers of CHINA DOLL is the psychological exploration of the bond between parent and child… Although CHINA DOLL is a work of fiction, there are haunting truths throughout the pages—all of which were carefully researched.” - Jewish Book Council, Spring 2007
…dynamic story…page turner…
“Although CHINA DOLL is a work of fiction, some very real issues are addressed in the dynamic story, especially regarding human rights and the one-child policy in China. It is a well researched and a page turner. It is the story of how life and death of children in China…” - Reader Views
…a beautiful story…catches you by surprise…
“CHINA DOLL is an alluring book, fast-paced with twist and turns. Some of the twists you see coming and some catch you by surprise… It is a fast easy read, and the beauty of China and the sorrow of its citizens impressed me. CHINA DOLL will open your eyes and make you want to learn more about its culture.” - RoundtableReviews.com
…filled with subtleties and struggles…vivid imagery…
“Filled with subtleties and struggles, CHINA DOLL takes us into the political struggle of world powers as Nola discovers how to free herself from her gilded cage and finally become the woman she is inside… This incredible journey takes us into Beijing, the royal palace, and grand parties where political intrigue and social correctness run amuck and distort the truth… CHINA DOLL will forever haunt my dreams…The descriptions and first-person viewpoints brought me right into the story. I could see and hear exactly what Nola saw and heard. The vivid imagery pulls at our feelings and emotions and drives us into the plight of China’s forgotten and unwanted children.” - FrontStreetReviews.com
…brilliantly woven tale… keeping the reader hooked…
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.” - Long Island Press
…substitute Dan Brown for CHINA DOLL for beach reading without the guilt of not dragging War and Peace…
“Readers who substitute a tired Dan Brown beach read for CHINA DOLL will be glad they did… the educational value should make us feel less guilty about not dragging War and Peace to the beach… Carner commended for the incorporation of issues of social relevance into a book that is more than just a story about a pop singer… CHINA DOLL is a charming use of storytelling to argue for basic human rights.” - BookLoons.com
…hard to put down…will occupy your thoughts long after the last page has been read…
“Carner has a knack for taking a controversial subject, imbuing it with her own words, and creating a gripping and touching story… She simply places fictional players with great fortitude in scenes that bring her controversy to life. In CHINA DOLL, American music icon Nola Sands travels to China as a goodwill ambassador…” - BookRelay.com
…a heart-wrenching nove…
“Talia Carner’s CHINA DOLL is a heart-wrenching novel. The story follows Nola’s concert tour through China while slipping into flashbacks of her tortured childhood. Nola is forced to take on the responsibility of adulthood much too soon… Nola is thrust into a political controversy with Lulu’s arrival. Her position of Goodwill Ambassador to China conflicts with her need to save her baby, as well as other Chinese infants, from a bleak future in the ‘Dying Rooms’ of Chinese orphanages. To save these children, she must rail against the Chinese government, at an unimaginable cost. Her career, marriage, and freedom may all be stake.” - Bookviews by Alan Caruba
…a real page-turner…
“A slice of life novel… tells the story of Nola Sands, an American singer sent as a goodwill ambassador on a concert tour to China. Suddenly her journey becomes anything but routine, when a desperate young Chinese mother thrusts her baby girl into Nola’s arms… This is a real page-turner as the reader becomes involved with Nola’s fight to save the child.” - Paperback Mystery
…impressive and thought-provoking…stylish read…
“More than the personal relations involved there is also the political question of relation between United States and China. Soon the case becomes one of prestige and huge political overtones between the two countries. And what is lost in the midst is the human element… CHINA DOLL is a five star read… highly, highly recommended.” - Fresh Fiction for Today’s Reader
…a gripping self-discovery voyage…
“In a story of an adoptive parent’s unwavering love, Nola’s flight across China is a tale not only of human rights abuses running amok in an astonishingly picturesque land: It is the gripping self-discovery voyage of a woman coming into her own.” - Ann M. Beardsley, Scribesworld.com
…deserves extra points…I highly recommend it…
“…Nola’s desire to keep the baby sparks an international dilemma, and suddenly, Nola’s world isn’t as safe as she had imagined, and Lulu is in grave danger. This book deserves extra points for daring to broach a subject few writers do… CHINA DOLL will make you squirm in your seat, wanting to get out and do something. I highly recommend it.”
