Shanghai Girls: A Novel
Written by Lisa See
Narrated by Janet Song
4/5
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Currently unavailable
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About this audiobook
As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the Chinese countryside, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the shores of America. In Los Angeles they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with the strangers they have married, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown's old ways and rules.
At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other, but each knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other the most. Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are-Shanghai girls.
From the Hardcover edition.
Lisa See
Lisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the Historymaker’s Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women.
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Reviews for Shanghai Girls
1,714 ratings207 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twenty years in the lives of two sisters - Pearl and May, from their start in Shanghai China as beautiful girls, to their father's loss of their home with gambling, then the invasion of the Japanese. They flee the city, making their way to their arranged marriage husbands in Los Angeles. Mae is married to the "boy husband" - an invalid, and Pearl is married to Sam, who turns out to be a paper son. On Angel Island, Mae gives birth to an illegitimate girl that Pearl claims as Sam and her child, and names her Joy. At the end, Joy is in college and associating with a Chinese association, causing the INS to interrogate Pearl and Sam - causing Sam to commit suicide. Joy then runs away to find her biological father in closed communist China.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I didn't mind the continuous exposition - the subject is very interesting and needs some. Two sisters in Shanghai in 1937 escape during the Japanese invasion and end up in LA as Chinatown wives, purchased from their father. However, the piling on of terrible events bring it dangerously close to the Perils of Pearl territory.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pearl and May are sisters who grew up in Shanghai. They are 21 and 18 in 1937 at the start of the novel, and are “beautiful girls” - they model for an artist who paints them for calendars. Unfortunately, their world is turned upside-down when their father reveals that he gambled away all their money and must sell them to husbands who live in the U.S. The book covers about 20 years and follows Pearl and May to the States; it is told from Pearl's (the older sister's) point of view. It covers the Sino-Japanese War, their lives as immigrants and the stereotypes and stigmas that go with that, the “Confession Program”, and Red China.I really liked it, although I was a bit disappointed in the sudden (slight cliffhanger) ending. The ending wasn't enough to drop my rating, overall, though I briefly thought about it. Of course, I will be reading the sequel. Apparently, the book was based on various stories told to Lisa See by various people, and a few characters were real people. I did learn a lot about Chinese immigrants to the U.S. at the time and how they were treated. I'm probably in a minority on this, but I liked this better than Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Growing up comfortably in Shanghai, two sisters - Pearl and May, discover at the age of 21 and 18, that their life, as they know it, has come to an end. Unbeknownst to them, a father and his two sons have travelled from Los Angeles to Shanghai for their arranged marriages. (There is so much more in this book, but that's the crux of the story.)I devoured the first half, then made a conscious decision to slow down, so I could relish my experience on this journey. Not only was Shanghai Girls filled with great characters, but the plot held great importance and intrigue. I was swept up in the unfamiliar culture in every chapter, being able to visualize it all. The characters, the plot and the setting were all blended seamlessly.Lisa See delivers historical fiction through such a smooth and interesting story that you don't even realize how much you are truly learning about time and place. I've never been a history buff, but it's books like this that encourage me to learn more. (4.5/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5May and Pearl are young, wealthy women who consider themselves to be modern. Their jobs as models afford them some degree of independence, but a mistake made by their father forever alters their lives. As their story spans years and continents, one thing remains constant -- the two sisters are always there for each other throughout life's ups and downs.This book appears to be well-researched by author See and the audiobook is well narrated by Janet Song. There were times the text seemed a bit redundant; in addition, some years are completely brushed over while others are described in day-to-day minutiae. The characters could be a little more well-rounded, but they are mostly believable. This book has a sequel that I would not have necessarily picked up based on the merits of this title alone. However, this book ends in such a way that I feel like I need to read the next title in order to complete the story. Trigger warning: This book contains intense rape scenes.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the story of two sisters who grow up in an affluent Shanghai family in the thirties. However, their father gambles away the family fortune and the two girls are forced into arranged marriages that take them to California. The writing is vivid, the characters are engaging, and the history was new to me. I knew Chinese immigrants to the U.S. suffered discrimination, but the legal aspects of govt. policy and how it affected families and individuals is compelling.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Moving story
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shanghai Girls was very interesting because it takes a place in a historical time period and place that is completely outside my wheelhouse. See's research is evident, as she is very good at evoking an image of the past--whether is is Shanghai or L.A. But the characters--their personalities and relationships--seem a little superficial compared to the depth of the scene that See has created. Something felt hasty in the book--even though the sisters spent a lot of time in China, or Angel Island, it feels like they just keeping jumping from place to place. I wish it was longer.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pearl and May Chin are two modern girls in 1937 Shanghai, the Paris of Asia. Their father runs a successful rickshaw business and the two sisters pose as models for the Beautiful Girl campaign. But their father loses his money and to pay his debts, he marries Pearl and May off to two brothers, who have come with their father from Los Angeles to find brides. Pearl and May plan to be wives in name only and refuse to go to America. But then the Japanese attack and they, along with their mother are forced to travel through the dangerous countryside to find a way to get to Hong Kong. Their mother is killed and they must travel to America to find the husbands they abandoned. The journey takes them to Angel Island, where they wait in limbo for months to be admitted to America. The Chinese are not wanted in the US and immigration makes it very difficult. the Chinese are not allowed to own land and are considered the lowest class. Pearl and May find a different life than they envisioned, full of secrets. Pearl tries to remain true to the more traditional Chinese ways, while May is lured by the glamour of Hollywood and this threatens to destroy the bond between them.I have never read a Lisa See novel, though I own Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I can see now why everyone has recommended her work to me. See is an excellent writer and story-teller. Though the story is ultimately about the bond between sisters and family, See brings to light to struggle of the Chinese in America and the ravages of the civil war in China. I really enjoyed this story, heart-breaking though it was at times. It also ended somewhat unfinished and I imagine that there will be a sequel. But I most definitely will read Snow Flower and then Peony in Love.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Really disappointing ending.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5TOP 10 LIST (personal list)... A wonderful book, with plenty of Chinese cultural history, to lose yourself in. Very hard to put down, so I recommend choosing a time to read this one when you have time to savor this literary entree. A book of sisterhood, and the wonderful and sorrowful experiences this unique bond brings about. Extremely highly recommended. -Doc Aloha ReviewsReview to be imported
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It looks like the baton has passed from Amy Tan to Lisa See when it comes to writing about women from China and their complicated relationships with mothers and sisters. As a daughter, mother, and sister, I recognize the universality of the intense feelings, nearly unbreakable bonds, and unique ability to wound and support in these relationships. Although familiar, I like to read about the special ways that other cultures express these relationships. Ms. See thoroughly grounds her story in the urban Chinese culture of pre-WWII Shanghai and the immigrant experience of Los Angeles. She shapes her characters with war, tragedies, and the discrimination unique to those populations. I felt the story sagged a bit in the later section when See was jumping over many years to get to the climax and jumping off point for her next book, but I still found this to be a satisfying read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Awesome book! I really learned a lot from this book. Definitely a page turner for me.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Chinese American in the 1950s, two sisters May and Pearl have to come to America. Arranged marriages, secrets, and paper boys. Wonderful! A story that spans over 20 years. Does leave you hanging. Listened to on audio Janet Song - good
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was a great book. I love the fact that it was historical fiction and really portrayed Chinese Americans from about 1930-1980. (I don't really know that much about Chinese Americans at that time so I don't know how accurate the portrayal was.) And the book was fascinating. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the sequel.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5For some reason this book just didn't connect with me. I like books I read to have a succinct plot, but this was just a series of horrific events that made-up the life of these two sisters. The plot was so transparent that I knew many of the crucial "twists" way before we even got there. The entire time, I was just waiting for the book to happen.There were parts I liked, but they have more to do with the genre of historical fiction. I was interested by the circumstances these women faced and was compelled to learn more about Chinese immigrants.It is completely mediocre, so I give it 3 stars.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is my first Lisa See novel, and it made a very favorable impression. Her writing is both lyrical and captivating - painting a lush tapestry of periods and places. The novel begins in 1930's Shanghai - a cosmopolitan city like Paris - and the home of two wealthy, beautiful young women, sisters Pearl and May. They aren't exactly ignorant, but they are young, naive and spoiled and have some hard lessons to learn about reality. The first shock comes when they learn that their father has lost the family fortune and sold them to Chinese-American businessmen looking for wives. Pearl and May are strong willed and independent, and have no intention of being sold off to strangers like chattel, or of leaving their beloved city - they throw their tickets in the trash and trick everyone into thinking they've joined their new husbands on the boat for Los Angeles when they haven't. Unfortunately, their troubles have only begun. Their beloved Shanghai is invaded by the Japanese, their father is threatened by the mob, and in attempting to flee to the surrounding countryside, Pearl and her mother are caught and raped by a group of Japanese soldiers while May hides. Pearl and May end up coming through this horrific experience and, with no where else to go, end up boarding a ship to take them to America. The two sisters join their husbands' family in Los Angeles' Chinatown with painful memories, trauma and a very big secret between them. As well, they have their shared memories of their childhood, their parents, and the city they loved to tie them together. The relationship between Pearl and May is central to the book, and very beautifully realized. Neither girl is perfect, both has her own flaws and shortcoming, but each has her own strengths and nobility, and they both sincerely love one another. As mentioned earlier, See's writing is absolutely gorgeous - poetic, descriptive and enchanting. It will transport you to another time and place. Pearl and May face many, many challenges, even after reaching Los Angeles they must face discrimination, and their new lives as wives to strangers in a family that at first seems rude and hostile, but they are both strong and deeply endearing heroines. I will definitely be hunting down the rest of See's novels. They are sure to become classics. 4/5
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I literally could not stop listening to this book. The writing is detailed, and emotional. The events on this book are beyond incredible!! I was fascinated by the story and in many occasions wondered if it was a real life story. This because of the perfectly aligned sequence of events and the history of China, Japan, and USA. After reading this book I feel like I gained vast knowledge on events that took place years ago in the world that have brought us to where we are today. Some of the themes of this book include: family, sacrifice, patriotism, immigration, abuse of power, and acculturation. I totally recommend this book to anyone over 15. It is a must read.
I will forever remember the Pearl and May’s journey. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A heartbreaking story of two Shanghai sisters told well in this rather long novel. Starts out a bit fluffy it seems, but takes you through the emotional wringer through all the many travails and hardships. The relationships are more complicated than you might think. The family members have good and bad traits. The story ends abruptly, ready for the sequel. I learned a fair bit about the life of Chinese in America and recommend Shanghai Girls for those with any interest in the subject.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Aw crap. NO ENDING! Lisa See never disappoints. It's a great story but now I have to figure out if, during this pandemic we are living with, I can find the sequel.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5B.A.B.A.E.L.Pan-Asian fiction is certainly a genre of choice for me, with China being a recent favorite for setting. And yet, I haven't read any Lisa See. I know. I know. It's just that for the longest time, Snow Flower had this gigantor waiting list and then I kept forgetting to check it out and then...Shanghai Girls fell in to my lap.And now I've been told, "Yeah. You should probably read Snow Flower or Peony. Those are lots better." I'm crossing my fingers, because I really didn't connect with Shanghai Girls at all.The characters felt very distant and unapproachable to me, which was the main problem. The plot itself was quite skillfully executed.The novel starts in Shanghai where Pearl and her younger sister May are fashionable "beautiful girls" -- calendar models living something of a glamorous life. Some of my first disconnects with the narrator character (Pearl) occur here, not for her blindness to the impoverished reality around her, but for her sheer indifference to it. I'm not disputing that there are people who view the world around them with indifference, I'm just observing that 1) It does make it harder to connect to a character, and 2) It doesn't really mesh with the Pearl we later come to know.Violence invades the lives of Pearl, May, and their parents, and the former "beautiful girls" are forced to flee to America, to husbands they barely know and surely don't love, with a very big secret in tow.During the American part of the book, there were some great scenes set in the immigration office. There were also a lot of informative and interesting pieces about Chinatown and even Hollywood -- sadly, the emotional disconnect rears its head again. Now, the characters begin to act inconsistently, behaving as is most convenient for See's dramatic storyline.The can bee seen most notably in the character of the father-in-law who, completely inexplicably, becomes an entirely different person toward the end of the novel.The novel culminates in a dramatic and well-conceived argument between May and Pearl wherein all the family skeletons are dug out of the closet. Ultimately, this fight really teases out the perception versus reality theme that the novel had been dancing around for some time. Well done!However, the power of this moment is somewhat diminished by the novel's rushed non-ending. I've seen others complain about this as well. I don't mind those sort of "the end is a beginning" types of conclusions as a rule, but this one leaves way more questions than answers. It feels drastically unfinished.All in all, Shanghai Girls is a rather slim novel for the breadth of its subject matter. See's writing is good, but perhaps she could have explored her subjects better and done true justice to her interesting plot-work, had she given herself more space to work in.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5WARNING this is book one of a two book series. The second is "Dreams of Joy"
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pearl and May are sisters who call 1930's Shanghai home. They are "beautiful girls" (women whose images are painted and used in advertising) and lead a carefree life. Until they lose everything and are sold into marriage by their father. After a tortuous journey (escaping the Japanese who attack China) they arrive in America and start their new lives with their husbands and new family. The story provides a lot of interesting detail about the lives of Chinese in the United States at this time - I never realised how heavily they were discriminated against. It is also a story of family and loyalty and of the battle to keep traditions alive while integrating into a new world.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This story of Chinese sisters who begin their lives in a privileged existence in Shanghai only to immigrant to the United States in the midst of the Japanese invasion of China and to endure the subsequent suspicion of their origins can be a gripping tale at times. Other times it can drag down (especially when the sisters spend all that time at Angel Island). The end result is an impressive tale, but one that I struggled to get through a few times and wasn't quite satisfied with at the conclusion.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pearl Chin and her sister, May, have grown up in the republic of China, the first generation of girls after foot-binding was made illegal. Both girls are fluent in English as well as the local Shanghai Wu dialect, but Pearl also speaks the dialect of her ancestral home village where she was born and speaks both British and American English; she has been to university as well. The girls work as beautiful girls, who model for painters who use their images for advertising, and live a relatively wild life compared with what their mother would like for them.
In 1937, their father loses everything, including the girls' income he has supposedly invested for them, and sells them into arranged marriages so that his debts will be written off. They spend one night with their husbands, who then head back with their father to the US where they are to join them.
The story follows them as they throw out their tickets, lose their home as a result, escape serious injury when the Japanese bomb Shanghai, escape and make it to their husbands in the US, and through 20 years of their lives there.
Lisa See writes very well, and the book is historically accurate. I did grow to care about Pearl, despite how shallow she was at the outset and for a fairly long time--it was in keeping with her character and story. It was too rife with tragedy and heaviness for me to love it enough to give it a 5, but I did like it enough that I plan to read the sequel. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really enjoyed the book overall. the only thing that held me back from 5 stars is the abrupt ending. It left me diappointed. Hopefully there will be a sequel.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The subject of the book is dear to me; I have spent a lot of time in Mainland China, have read extensively, and am particularly interested in the years from 1912 to present. This setting is rich, and the writer clearly knows her stuff, but this is just not a good book. Shanhai Girls is terribly overwritten. Things can be inferred, every thought does not have to be stated, every change of posture or trip to the bathroom is not interesting. Speaking of things that are not interesting, every character in the book qualifies. Some are just boring, Sam is a perfect example and Vern too. Poor Vern, who has no place in the story other than his defecits and diseases. His collapsing self mined to show off the strength of the Chinese family unit. Some have no goodness at all, they are just petty and grasping, May and Old Man Louie and Pearl's father fit in this catagory. Some are just pathetic, our protaganist Pearl and her mother in law fit this bill. Horrible heart-breaking things happen to these people, and I did not care at all. I have read stories, real and fictional, of this time and I have never before been utterly unmoved by the suffering. To top off the tone-deafness,the "moral of the story" seems to be the wildly deep "mother knows best." Ugh. It gets two stars because the historical structure is really good, and this is a part of Chinese and American history people know too little about.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Great read. Story of two pampered sisters, Pearl and May, who are Beautiful Girls (models) when the story begins. Their father loses family fortune, and sells the girls as traditional brides to an American Chinese father. The story follows their life both in China and in the US in the 1940's. Lots of descriptions of the lives of Chinese immigrants, and their struggle to understand their new life, looking forward to the sequel.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I think I have discovered a new author for my list of favorites! Shanghai Girls is an engaging, well-written, and heart-wrenching historical novel about two sisters whose privileged lives in Shanghai in the 1930s (the "Paris of Asia") take a dramatic turn for the worse when their father sells them in arranged marriages in order to pay off debts (don't worry, this comes out right at the beginning, so I'm not giving anything away). The story follows them for 20 years as they escape from China and make a new life with their husbands in Los Angeles. The plot and characters are complex and realistic, and the storyline is compelling. Lisa See has a talent for drawing out the powerful emotions her characters are experiencing. At times I really felt as if I was in the world with the narrator (one of the sisters, in the first person), experiencing what she was. Some of these moments were quite intense and painful, including a graphic rape scene and a bomb explosion. One main theme in the novel is the relationship between the sisters, and Lisa See portrays it so well and realistically, bringing out the love, jealousy, resentment, and caring they feel for each other. I enjoyed Shanghai Girls so much that I immediately moved on to the sequel, Dreams of Joy, which picks up right where the first book left off. I will definitely be reading more by Lisa See as well!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was my "mystery date" for book club; I did not choose to read it.... but I am glad I did. Very well-researched historical novel about the life of two sisters who are born in China, but end up living their adult lives in the U.S... and all the struggles of life, war, immigration, parenthood, and more. Nice storytelling and a very enjoyable novel.