The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown

The Ping Pong Champion of Chinatown follows a young girl named Gertie McDowell across the United States as she digs herself into trouble and then magically gets out of her predicaments. Gertie is from Kentucky, and wanting to be famous, as you know we all do, she finds herself working with a man she calls “The Nose” who turns her into an Internet sensation, that is, turns her feet into the famous feet of “Little Miss Twinkle Toes.” Perverts from all over flock to her YouTube channel to see her do different weird things with her feet like putting mustard on them and then sliding them into hot dog buns. Oy vey! When Gertie decides she has had enough of this, she finds herself making dresses for a “fashion” company. She makes the dresses and then ships them to the company where they adorn the dresses with lace and other fancy things and then ship the dresses back to her to deliver to the local customers. Sound a bit fishy? Well, it is. Gertie finds herself in prison, but meets friends there, the kind of friends you meet in prison, that is. When she gets out she is put in the Witness Protection Program and shipped off to San Francisco. And this is where the title comes from.

The Ping Pong Champion of Chinatown is wildly entertaining. In fact, I read it in one sitting. Gertie’s southern hick charm comes across in James Hanna’s writing as if she were sitting right next to you telling you her story. Gertie is so smart and talented in many areas, but her gullible nature lands her in heaps of trouble. I found each chapter to be well written and engaging. Each and every character has a special place in Gertie’s life, and the author takes his time in developing each one and Gertie’s feelings toward them. Gertie’s naivety will have readers both chuckling and saying “oh no!” Throughout the story, Gertie’s positive attitude shines through, and maybe this is what keeps her going through life. I would love to read another book starring Gertie McDowell as she is only twenty-three towards the end of the book. A fun, crazy, action-packed roller-coaster ride of a book, The Ping Pong Champion of Chinatown will have its readers feeling completely enveloped in the world of Gertie. Recommended for young adult to adult readers.