Shanghai
Girls: A Novel ,
by Lisa See (Read by Janet Song)
They were "Beautiful Girls" in
1937 Shanghai, girls whose provocative poses on calendars
and advertisements earned them celebrity status in the
cosmopolitan city along with a small amount of money.
The money was initially of little consequence because
they are also the privileged and pampered daughters
of a successful rickshaw business owner. Their world
of couture clothing and nightly partying changes abruptly
when their father's gambling losses causes him to sell
them as wives for the sons of a Chinese American. Not
wanting to be forced to go to America with their new
husbands and afraid of retaliation because of their
father's gambling debts, they and their mother run away
from their beloved Shanghai. Japanese bombs, murdering
thieves, and marauding soldiers all confront the sisters
as they fight to stay alive. Realizing it's their only
hope for survival as war decimates their country, Pearl
and May join their husbands in America where for the
next two decades they face different kinds of battles.
Lisa See's Shanghai Girls is an
absorbing account of the lives of two 20th century Chinese
women, first in China and then in the United States.
Their privileged status in Shanghai did not prepare
them for the hardships they face in Los Angeles, but
they prove adept at adjusting to performing menial labor
in a sometimes hostile environment. In addition to giving
a historical account of China and Japan's conflicts
prior to World War II, See offers a Chinese cornucopia
of folklore, superstitions, traditions, beliefs and
sayings. Quaint expressions such as "porcelain
with scars" to describe a prostitute generously
populate the lyrical prose. Shanghai Girls is also a
study of the unique problems each generation faces in
an immigrant family. Her belief in the power of zodiac
creatures inspires scorn in her modern, American-born
daughter, while Pearl confesses that "We raised
our children to be American, but what we really wanted
were proper Chinese sons and daughters."
Told in the first person from the older
sister, Pearl's, point of view, Janet Song's narration
is so effective that by the end of the book, the listener
feels like an intimate friend of Pearl and her family.
Not only does the listener feel like a friend, but like
a historical insider of the time, someone who understands
the significance of "Gold Mountain men" and
"paper sons." This audio book allows listeners
to look at the paranoia surrounding Chinese immigration
of the 50s from both the United States government and
Chinese-American citizens' perspectives. It is an excellent
reminder that things are not always what they seem.
How many of us have looked at someone and assumed that
we know what his or her life is like? Who would have
observed the humble May and Pearl in post-war Los Angeles
and believed that once they had been Shanghai Girls…Beautiful
Girls? Highly recommended for its compelling story,
supported by rich and important historical content.
Ruth
Mormon
7/10/09
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