Shanghai Girls

This was a wonderful book.  A bit long, but very enjoyable.  This story follows the lives of two sisters born in China.  We begin in the late 1930s in Shanghai when the sisters are teenagers.  The story follows the lives of these two girls through the Japanese invasion of China, their escape to the U.S., World War II, the Korean War, China's fall to communism, and everything in between.  I didn't realize how oppressed the Chinese were in this country.  They were very segregated and hated -- just like African Americans -- possibly even worse, because the Chinese could not become citizens and had to live in constant fear of being deported back to China.

The Chinese culture is fascinating, and these sisters, as most Chinese people, tried to keep as much of their heritage and traditions alive in this country while trying to fit in and be loyal Americans.  It was a difficult life, and became more difficult with each passing generation.  I loved Lisa See's Snowflower and the Secret Fan, and this book did not disapoint.  I would highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in historical fiction, and especially the Chinese culture.

I've decided I'm not going to post about what I'm reading -- I will only post about books when I am finished with them.  So you will have to wait to see what I've decided to read next.