Shanghai Girls is a delightfully intriguing and gripping novel about a relationship between two sisters whose lives are so intertwined that the only time they part is when the story ends. See paints a very vivid picture of China and China City in LA; she captures the essence of your anticipated emotions as the characters experience fear, tragedy, joy, anger, and even bits of peace and contentment.

I am surprised , at first, by the lack of respect and honor that Pearl and May have for their parents and their culture until I realize that it is my own perception and stereotypes that have allowed me to believe that they should be behaving in any other manner than the young, carefree girls that they are. For me, this book really brought to light a lot of my misconceptions, prejudices, and ignorance and ultimately made me feel ashamed and embarrassed. I judged Pearl and May for not being more aware of their surroundings and for being so self-absorbed during the war, but here we are today, at war, and I am truly no more aware than they were. I, too, am comforted by the false security and the belief that “it can’t happen to me.” I started to question the validity of the history being marked in the book, because I knew that it was marked at a time when African Americans were going through hell in America, then, feeling ashamed and embarrassed by my ignorance in believing that African Americans were the only ones to every go through any major prejudices, segregations, and discriminations here in America. I even felt ashamed for feeling satisfied when there was mention of the African American struggle because in all of my teachings and readings, light had never been shed upon the Chinese American culture or struggles.

This story is interesting enough that it easily wisps you away; it captivates you and moves you from chapter to chapter wanting more and more. Just as you start to get a little bored with the story near the end, BOOM, you’re hit with another surprise and then you are let down by the ending. There are some predictable moments in the novel that you can guess early on, but you find yourself wanting to read on to see how it will unfold. I have rated this book a four because a story with such a strong beginning and an author with a talented writing style could have given us a much better ending, but also, because the story engaged me in a culture that I have always found mysterious, structured, and meek only to find that they, too, are ordinary.