Lisa See's Shanghai Girls
Does anyone know why Lisa See writes so many novels about China? It just seems odd, since she's super white. Does she have some sory of degree or background related to China? Or is she just an Orientalist? Not that it matters, b/c this was still a pretty great novel, about two sisters in pre-war China who, after their father loses all their money gambling, arranges to marry them off to two men in America. Harrowing adventures and immigrant adjustments ensue in a generally moving manner. I really liked all the characters (though the protagonist was totally oblivious to things that were obvious to the reader), but did think things ended a bit abruptly. A-/B+.
1 comment:
Ah, it turns out See is 1/4 Chinese and grew up listening to her grandmother's stories about China. Now her literary obsession makes more sense to me.
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