Explore a true story of human trafficking with the January LDS Living Book Club pick

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True story: In 1895 San Francisco, there was a dark and powerful underground organization that bought and sold Chinese girls into prostitution and slavery. Families in China were deceived into thinking they were sending their daughters to “Gold Mountain” to marry rich Chinese men who could send money back home to their families, but nothing was further from the truth.

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown throws new light on the age-old scourge of human trafficking. And for our January Book Club, we are jumping headfirst into the heart-wrenching true story of twenty-six-year-old Donaldina (Dolly) Cameron and her "paper daughters"–so named for their fake identity documents with no chance of recourse–and Dolly's dangerous work day and night battling the abominable slave and prostitution trade.

But don't let the wicked in this tale scare you off: the inspiring heroes who fought this evil and the victims who triumphed over it more than a hundred years ago offer a bright example of courage and determination for anyone wishing for a better world.

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Video Companion
Introducing THE PAPER DAUGHTERS OF CHINATOWN by Heather B. Moore

What This Month Holds

  • eBook giveaway on Friday, January 1
  • An easy-to-follow weekly reading schedule–follow along here!
  • Weekly videos with insights and answers to your questions from the author, Heather B. Moore!
  • An exclusive Book Club Q&A with Heather Moore at the end of January to wrap up the book

About LDS Living Book Club

Each month we choose a new book to read together. Joining is easy! Simply follow @ldslivingbookclub on Instagram for reading reminders and details about our live Q&A with the author.


About the Book

Mei Lien believes she is sailing to the "Gold Mountain" in America to become the wife of a rich Chinese man. Instead she finds herself sold into prostitution—beaten, starved, and forced into an opium addiction. It is only after a narrow escape that she hears of the mission home and dares to think there might be hope for a new life. Find the book at DeseretBook.com


About the Author

Heather B. Moore is the two-time Best of State and two-time Whitney Award winner for her historical fiction, the most recent being Esther the Queen. She is also the author of the nonfiction inspirational book Women of the Book of Mormon and the coauthor of Christ's Gifts to Women with Angela Eschler. 

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