Page Thirty

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

It is pre-World War II and two sisters, Pearl - the narrator - and May, are young, beautiful, and living carefree in the vibrant city of Shanghai. Both sisters are naive and unaware of what is actually going on around them, so when they have to flee Shanghai with their mother, after discovering their father has left them deep in debt, they are forced to open their eyes to the world around them, as well as deal with the threat of the Japanese. After a difficult journey and losing their mother, Pearl and May end up in San Francisco and try to make a life for themselves, with their husbands whom they were forced to marry back in Shanghai before they fled. Their lives become separate, as Pearl works hard to keep the family afloat in a Chinatown family cafe and at home, and May becomes caught up in work for the film industry. Both, however, must deal with the consequences of the Communist-craze and inevitably turn to each other when all else has fallen apart.

I did not enjoy this book as much as See's other book I read, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. While it kept my interest, it took me longer than normal to read it, which tells me it wasn't a great book. There were interesting parts along the way, and some particularly gruesome scenes, but overall I don't think I would recommend this book.