La Crosse County Library's Reviews > Shanghai Girls

Review originally published November 2016

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See is fascinating historical fiction mainly set in 1930s Los Angeles. In 1937, sisters Pearl and May are “beautiful girls” in Shanghai, the Paris of Asia, where everyone is separated by race, money, and power. The girls knew very little of life other than their own privileged one. Their family had servants and the girls wore beautiful clothes and jewelry.

Pearl and May went out at night and worked as calendar models. Their lives change suddenly when their father, on the verge of bankruptcy, arranges marriages for both sisters to two Chinese-American brothers in Los Angeles.

The Chinese were fighting the Japanese in the late 1930s, before WWII. Pearl and May, in traveling with their mother to the port that would take them to their new husbands, suffered horrible indignities at the hands of the Japanese. These events would shape the rest of their lives.

It is not easy or simple once they arrive in the US either. They are detained, interrogated, and humiliated at Angel Island, an immigration entrance to the US. They make a life in Los Angeles, and throughout the story so much Chinese culture and tradition is explained. Some of the most interesting beliefs are related to the roles of men and women.

Boy babies were prized, while giving birth to a girl was thought to be unlucky. Boys were supposed to take care of their parents in the afterlife. I found the cultural traditions concerning marriage, weddings, pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care fascinating. Chinese-Americans in the 1950s were afraid of being deported, because many living in the US had false identities.

During the war against communism, Chinese in California were perceived as possible communists. Authorities were watching the newspapers they bought and checked on money being sent to China.

The relationship of sisters is a major theme in this novel. Throughout their lives, Pearl and May have their differences but are always devoted to each other and want to stay together. Their bond withstands hardships, sadness, and change.

Lisa See is also the author of bestseller Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which I have also read. It too is an excellent read, informative about Chinese culture, and has a truly engaging story.

I highly recommend both novels!

These titles can both be found at our La Crosse County Library locations in Bangor, Campbell, Holmen, Onalaska, or West Salem. For more information about any of our services, check out our website at www.lacrossecountylibrary.org.

Find this book and other titles within our catalog.