Erin's Book #15: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Since I adored Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I naturally wanted to read Lisa See's follow-up, Shanghai Girls. I knew she had her work cut out for her to create another story as engaging and fascinating as Snow Flower.

At first, I was disappointed, thinking that the story of Pearl and her sister May in no way lived up to Snow Flower's. The novel begins in Shanghai in the 1930s. Pearl and May, 21 and 18, lead a privileged life in the Paris of Asia. They work as "beautiful girls", wearing beautiful dresses and posing for hot artists who create advertisements, staying out late and enjoying Shanghai's nightlife. I found this mildly interesting at best.

Unfortunately for Pearl and May, but fortunately for the reader, this life of luxury doesn't last. The war is beginning, which Pearl and May have been oblivious to, selfishly and naively focusing on their own glamorous lives, while they step over dying people in the street. But events transpire that force them to give up everything they've known and find the strength they didn't know they had.

Much like in Snow Flower, I was transported to a different world - first of war-torn China, then of World War II-era Los Angeles. I hadn't realized the discrimination the Chinese faced in America during this time and was fascinated to learn of LA's Chinatown, which was essentially created as a tourist attraction, and yet was the place these immigrants (many illegal) called home. It was the only place they could attend school and rent apartments.

I don't want to reveal too much of the story, but I really enjoyed this book. The story is very compelling, especially in the ways the characters evolve, as they grow to love and defend the very things they were trying to run from. The book is filled with real tragedy, mixed in with the happiness the girls create.

I found the end somewhat unfulfilling. Perhaps it was because I was expecting more based on the remaining pages in the book, but I felt the end was a little abrupt, although it does come full circle in an interesting way.

While I didn't like this as much as Snow Flower, I would definitely recommend it.