When Canadian Karen Patterson decided she needed an adventure, life took her to Beijing, China where she experienced such highs and lows she might as well have been on a rollercoaster. A woman with a knack for spotting a business idea a mile off, never too scared to take a risk, Karen was responsible for introducing the fabulous Tripp Trapp ® highchair to the country before moving into a larger babywear business. Along the way her passion for art led her to become a photographer, mix with the highest echelons of the Beijing art scene and go on to marry an artist activist called Wu Yuren.

This is not your typical tale of an expat wife. Now with a daughter and several businesses to take care of her then estranged husband is arrested. It is time for this intrepid, fearless powerhouse to fight for his freedom, estranged or not, she believes in justice and will stop at nothing. With Ai Wei Wei firmly in her corner, success should be guaranteed, but does it come at a price?

It’s a long book, perhaps too long, but the plot is so unbelievable, the entrepreneurial wisdom, the fierce mothering of this determined lady turned author makes this memoir impossible to put down.