Shanghai, 1937. Pearl and May are two sisters from a bourgeois family. Though their personalities are very different, they are inseparable. Both are living a carefree life...until their father tells them that he has gambled away the family's wealth, and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to two "Gold Mountain" men: Americans. As Japanese bombs fall on their city, the two sisters set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them to a new, married life in Los Angeles's Chinatown. Here ...
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Shanghai, 1937. Pearl and May are two sisters from a bourgeois family. Though their personalities are very different, they are inseparable. Both are living a carefree life...until their father tells them that he has gambled away the family's wealth, and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to two "Gold Mountain" men: Americans. As Japanese bombs fall on their city, the two sisters set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them to a new, married life in Los Angeles's Chinatown. Here they begin a fresh chapter, despite the racial discrimination and anti-Communist paranoia, because now they have something to strive for: a young, American-born daughter, Joy.
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This book is well written kept my attention from the beginning. Typical oriental description of characters - not who you thought they were.
Mary H N
Jun 29, 2012
Excellent book
This book held my interest all the way through and lead me to checking out additional Lisa See books. She's a good author who knows a lot about her subject.
GrannyHigbee
Jun 15, 2009
Chinese Women in early 1900
The captivating phrase, "the Paris of China" describing Shanghai prior to the Japanese invasion drew my attention to this descriptive book. Throughout the book the emotions of two strong characters, opposite in personality, draw the reader to experience the same feelings and longings as these Shanghai girls have. The book is an eyeopener to those who are interested in what it must have been like to be an imigrant from China during the early 1900s. The book was excellent and hard to put down!
