Author Guide · Narrative Nonfiction
Books Written by
In the 2000s some 130 million Chinese left their villages to work in the factory cities of the south. Leslie T. Chang, then a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, spent two years following two young women in Dongguan, a city of factories, as they changed jobs, took courses, lied about their ages and reinvented themselves. Alongside their stories she traced her own family's migration out of China. This guide covers her book and what to read next.
By Lisanne Swart · 1 books · Narrative nonfiction · 2008 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Leslie T. Chang has published one book: Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China (2008), about young migrant women in the factory city of Dongguan.
Where to Start with Leslie T. Chang
Her one book
→ Factory Girls (2008).
All 1 Leslie T. Chang Books, in Order
Factory Girls
Two young migrant workers, Lu Qingmin and Wu Chunming, in the factory city of Dongguan, followed over two years as they try to get ahead, interwoven with the story of Chang's own family.
How Many Books Did Leslie T. Chang Write?
One book, published in 2008.
- Narrative nonfiction — Factory Girls (2008). Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Leslie T. Chang
There is only one book.
A reading path
1. Factory Girls (2008)
Quick facts about Leslie T. Chang
- Career
- Correspondent in China for The Wall Street Journal
- Family
- Married to the writer Peter Hessler
- Book
- Factory Girls (2008)
How Leslie T. Chang Works: Following Two Lives
Chang followed two young women over years, by phone and in person, recording how they talked about their work and ambitions.
She sets their stories alongside her own family history of migration, making the book both reportage and memoir.
Frequently asked questions about Leslie T. Chang's books
How many books has Leslie T. Chang written?
Leslie T. Chang has written one book, Factory Girls (2008).
What is Factory Girls about?
Factory Girls (2008) follows young migrant women working in the factories of Dongguan, in southern China.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all hers.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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