 An eye opener
As a Fujinese immigrant, this book was a real eye opener for me. Before I read this book I had no idea what the snakehead was or how it functioned. I had no idea who sister ping was nor any of the major players in the snakehead trade. Keefe does a wonderful job blending story and facts so as to not bore the reader. In fact once I picked this up book I literally couldn't put it down. Keefe also does a great job of giving us different perspectives on the people involved in the snakehead trade, namely the law enforcement, the smugglers and the people who were smuggled. He paints a vivid picture of the tragedies and miracles that occur in the snakehead trade. I believe what was most shocking for me was the actual scale of the trade which literally is worldwide and raked in millions of dollars.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone especially those of fujinese descent.
Publisher's Weekly has it right...
...this one is a thriller. Terrific piece of writing, gripping from start to finish. Sometimes a story is so completely outside one's own experience, it's hard to believe it's true. I am often struck this way when I read fiction, generally less so when I read non-fiction. For the total 'otherness' of TS, it could just as well have been completely concocted. The fact that it wasn't makes the story it tells a little less thrilling, and a lot more sobering. Thumbs up.
If you think you have an opinion on illegal immigration...
then you need to read this book. Keefe provides a balanced--though sometimes smarmy--analysis of the many facets of several issues related to the topics of illegal immigration and undocumented workers. I won't cloud this review by stating one way or another where I come down on the issues presented by Keefe, but if you want some thought provoking reading that will force you to consider a real issue given our (U.S.) current economic and national security environments, then you should read this book...and then pass it on to your friends.
 From huddled masses to multi-millionaires
This book took years of research across several continents to tell the story of how unscrupulous Chinese immigrants scam the system to bring in thousands of their countrymen. Many of these end up being indentured slaves while others turn to a life of crime.
The Snakehead does not paint a pretty picture of American immigration policy. It is a damning account that sends the message that crime does pay and it pays very well.
The Book is very Real
The United States is a country of immigrants. I am a second generation immigrant from FuZhou. After reading this book, I felt the story is so true and real. I have heard a lot of Sister Ping's story, though I nor anyone from my family had ever saw her in person, everything, in this book about sister Ping is right to the point. Before I read this book, I though Sister Ping is a friend of my parents, after I read this book, I went back and asked them if they knew her in person, they told me, they didn't know her in person, they have only heard of her stories from others. The author, Mr. Keefe, had really brought this story to life. When I was reading the portion about Sister Ping, I though I have already read the book, because the story is just like what I heard from my parents. The book is like documentary, at the same time, it reads like a novel. I feel reconnected with people in Chinatown with people who risked their lives just to have a better future for their children. If there is a Godfather, then Sister Ping is the Godmother of Chinatown immigrants. She used her own way created a great legend and now she is in many of the people's heart. She might not be recognized as a Hero to authorities but she is certainly, the Hero for those who had successfully made it to here and having a better life. Mr Keefe had done a wonderful job by telling us the story.
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