I first heard about the release of Shanghai Girls by Lisa See on the New York Times weekly book review podcast. I was fascinated by the subject matter because I spent a summer a China studying abroad. After saving up and several coupons later, I was able to buy this book and couldn’t put it down.
Shanghai Girls begins in the year 1937 centering around two sisters Pearl, the eldest, and May Chin. Both girls are on the cusps of their youth in Shanghai, China before Mao took over the country. Shanghai is called the Paris of the East. The city is dripping with glamor, high fashion, excellent society, beggars, gamblers and everything life has to offer. Pearl and May get everything they want because they are fashionable girls that must keep up their image as “beautiful girls.” They model for calendars, advertising campaigns and just for fun. The girls laugh at their parents foolish, traditional ways to live their carefree life, until everything changes.
Their father borrowed tons of money and was not able to return it. In exchange for his debt, his daughters become the collateral and they must be forced in marriages into men coming from Los Angeles in search for Chinese women to take as their brides.
When Japanese bombs fell on Shanghai, everything changed for the two girls – their lives were transformed into something their never thought possible. Through all the splendor and horror, one thing remains true – the sisters are inseparable.
This is one of my favorite books I’ve read lately. I already feel a strong bond to China since I spent a long time there, but this book really opened my eyes to issues in China the people wouldn’t talk about. There was always a strange animosity between the Chinese and Japanese people who I could never understand. No matter how many Chinese friends I asked, they would not talk about it. The estrangement between the two races stems back to World War II when Japan invaded China. The Japanese, at the time, were relentless taking, murdering and stealing everything in their path. This specific situation impacts May and Pearl quite directly.
I loved to see how the sisters changed from two very spoiled girls who cared nothing but fashion and modeling to see their struggles as they make their way to the United States with nothing. They were detained on Angel Island outside of San Francisco waiting to enter the United States. They went from having everything to nothing.
My favorite aspect of the book was the promotion of such a strong bond between May and Pearl. May was always much more selfish looking after herself and trying to get everything she wanted. Pearl, being the older sister, always looked out for May and sacrificed her needs for her sister’s. I also really enjoyed the incorporation of Chinese rituals and beliefs like the Zodiac calendar and the thorough explanation of these rituals by See.
I strongly suggest for anyone to read this book. It has its sad moments, but it’s an incredible journey. I believe there may be a sequel going by the ending, but I’m not sure.
♥ – Erin
