Madeline
I’ve read two books from Lisa See, both have been written about here, The Island of Sea Women and Snowflower and the Secret Fan. But I had not read her most popular book about beautiful girls from China, until now.
Premise of Shanghai Girls
Two sisters have a great life in Shanghai. They pose for artists to paint them for advertisements for luxury items. They are beautiful girls from China and have the life that goes along with the lifestyle.
After their father owes gambling debts, they are promised to marry brothers and meet them at another date in California. They have no intention of meeting the brothers on the intended date, but when their city is invaded and they are forced out, they find themselves no choice but to go to the United States. At first they plan to stay in San Francisco, then they plan to only stay with the brothers and their family for a short amount of time. But then they find themselves in slaved by their father in-law and later learn to appreciate him.
The girls go through tough times and learn to live a life they never suspected they would live. They keep secrets from the government, their new family, and each other. When the secrets start to unravel, the family is in a position to be torn apart.
..But the Beautiful Girls from China Saga is Not Over
The story ends with the main character, and one of the sisters, chasing her daughter back to China. With prejudice against the Chinese and Communist China, her only hope is to confess that she faked citizenship and to get deported. Away from her sister and husband, to try to find a daughter who may not accept her. Stay tuned for part two.
Final Thoughts
I have enjoyed every single book of Lisa See’s books, but they are so depressing. They all follow a lifetime of Asian girls and in every book I have read, there is a women who is raped or beaten. They are in a land of great chaos and are pushed out. They are depressing and not at all light. But I promise, I will be reading another Lisa See book and I will be reading the sequel.
