Capital Public Radio Stocking Stuffer: “Shanghai Girls” by Lisa See
This superb novel is about two glamorous Chinese sisters, Pearl and May, who narrowly escape war in their homeland and settle in California. Lisa See was raised in Los Angeles and spent a lot of time in the Chinatown where her father lived.
amazon.com
May and Pearl, two sisters living in Shanghai in the mid-1930s, are beautiful, sophisticated, and well-educated, but their family is on the verge of bankruptcy. Hoping to improve their social standing, May and Pearl’s parents arrange for their daughters to marry “Gold Mountain men” who have come from Los Angeles to find brides.
But when the sisters leave China and arrive at Angel’s Island (the Ellis Island of the West)--where they are detained, interrogated, and humiliated for months--they feel the harsh reality of leaving home. And when May discovers she’s pregnant the situation becomes even more desperate. The sisters make a pact that no one can ever know.
A novel about two sisters, two cultures, and the struggle to find a new life in America while bound to the old, Shanghai Girls is a fresh, fascinating adventure from beloved and bestselling author Lisa See.
Great gift giving ideas for the Capital Public Radio fans in your life