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0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Good Read Nov 16, 2009
I really enjoyed this book and the character build. I didn't know what to expect when I bought it and was really surprised. I was a little disappointed in the ending, hence the four star and not five. I guess it was left open for an sequel.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Not Much Chinese, But Lots of Ham Nov 14, 2009
If one picks up Shanghai Girls thinking they are going to get a valuable lesson on Chinese immigrant life, they're going to get shortchanged. The Chinese elements in Shanghai Girls are just window dressing for a good old fashioned soap opera, complete with a cliff-hanger ending. In order to generate emotion out of the story, See puts her characters through the wringer; subjecting them to just about every misfortune a human can endure. But, thanks to a sharp narrative style, See portrays the trials and tribulations of the book's heroines in an efficient and entertaining manner. In the end, the reader is left with a well-made soap opera that's not as informative as the book's marketing might suggest. So, if one is looking for a more serious look at the struggles of Chinese immigrants, they should reader authors like Maxine Hong Kingston or Amy Tan. But, if one wants a light course of Chinese culture and a heavy course of ham-fisted story, then Shanghai Girls is a perfect choice.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Deep, historical and captivating!! Nov 13, 2009
This book tells the story of two sophisticated Chinese sisters, May and Pearl, who are living in Shanghai in the mid-1930s. Suddenly their family is on the verge of bankruptcy and their parents arrange for them to marry two brothers who live in Los Angeles, California. Meanwhile, Shanghai is invaded by the Japanese. and both the sisters and their mother encounter the war's brutality before making their way to America. They are first detained, interrogated and humiliated for months in Angel Island, which is the detention center for Chinese immigrants. After that, the sisters have to endure their father-in-law's tyranny. But through it all, the sisters remain devoted to each other.
This novel is very deep, historical and captivating. I can highly recommend it.
Joyce Akesson, author of Love's Thrilling Dimensions and The Invitation
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Waste of time Nov 08, 2009
I was very disappointed in this book. While the subject and events held a lot of promise, the author failed miserably at developing the characters in the novel. There was no opportunity to get emotionally involved with the story when the book just moved from one event to the next. The ending isn't much of a "cliffhanger" when really, the reader can't possibly care.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Tale of Tragedy and Endurance Nov 04, 2009
"Shanghai Girls" opens with the Pearl and May, sisters who are living the high life in 1930s Shanghai, then known as the "Paris of Asia". They worked as "beautiful girls", whose portraits are used for commercial advertisements. Everything changes when their father arranges their marriages to strangers, Chinese men from Los Angeles. It turns out that their owed a great deal of money because of his gambling and practically sold his daughters.
Being progressive-thinking women, they rebelled against the marriage but after finding out that their father's life was in danger, acquiesced. But they delayed their going to America until it was too late. The Japanese had invaded China and they only way out was to trek out of Shanghai on foot. Along the way, they experience brutal things but somehow managed to get on a boat to San Francisco.
Their troubles did not end there because upon entering Angel Island, they were detained and lived in deplorable conditions. It was obvious that America did not want Chinese immigrants and made it as difficult as possible. They endure further hardship and during this time, the sisters make a pact that will change their lives.
It is a story that is steeped in Chinese tradition and parts of history that are distasteful but true. Very beautifully written and authentic, it mirrors the life of Chinese immigrants and the discrimination they faced. I believe this is a book that Chinese descendants should read to gain a better appreciation of how they came to be here. It is full of culture and tradition and anybody interested in the Chinese way of life would appreciate this tale of tragedy and endurance.
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