Born to simple folks, Jacqueline had spent most of her life in the confines of a farming village located in the hills of China. She was not the child of her father; her mother claims to have been raped, but people of the Commune believes not in such things and have attached to them quite an amount of stigma. Jacqueline's father is a mild man who tries his best to love his daughter, but could never forget the shameful fact of her existence. Her mother feels much the same way, and, as a result, Jacqueline was not as close to her parents as she could have been.

It would have been easier but for the fact that she looked so different. Jacqueline's features are Chinese in the familiar tilt of her eyes and relative smallness of stature, but her hair, though dark, is noticeably more brown than those of her friends. It also lacks the smooth straightness of Chinese hair. Jacqueline made no close friends, for she was always regarded with a certain amount of wariness and scorn by the other children. It has always been made very apparent to her that her father was not her biological one.

Even so, Jacqueline had a tolerable, if not happy, childhood, spending most of her time in the hills and woods around her home. Through trial and error, she learned a bit of woodlore and quite some survival skills, though she can only hunt small game as girls in her village were not allowed weapons. The village library is also one of Jacqueline's favourite places. Education was limited and she had to teach herself most things.

Better times were just a dream to Jacqueline until the Chinese government decided to sponsor one student from each Commune for further studies each year. This inevitably fell to her, because of her self-taught knowledge and also the fact that most of her peers had ties to the village that they were unwilling to break. The decision to leave her parents was not easy, and Jacqueline still feels guilt whenever she thinks of it.

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Personality
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Jacqueline is a serious person, not given much to conversation. She prefers solitude and fills these hours with books and music, or wood-carving when she can find suitable material. She is however a good listener, and loves to listen to stories. She talks little about her family, and always seems a little wistful when people are talking about theirs. An average student at best, Jacqueline has to work hard to obtain the grades that would permit her to continue studying; she spends little time in parties or social gatherings. Many people consider her something of a recluse, but Jacqueline has grown used to the whispering and snickering she hears around her.

Few people are her friends, and even fewer her enemies. Jacqueline is not given to displaying her emotions -- a Chinese legacy as well as a must due to living conditions. Following the age-old Chinese adage, she is the most polite to those she hates.