karaklos's review
3.0
Just when I thought I had read all of the many WWII angles out there, Weina Dai Randel surprised me with a fresh story about Jewish refugees in Shanghai. I was so surprised to learn that Shanghai was a landing spot for so many trying to escape Hitler. Shanghai was occupied by Japan at this time and both the refugees and the Chinese were mistreated by the Japanese. Thoroughly researched, I enjoyed the history very much.
The book focuses on two characters, a Jewish refugee (Ernest) and a Chinese heiress (Aiyi) who develop a romantic relationship. Their relationship is not acceptable to Aiyi’s family or society as a whole. The love story is mostly tolerable as love stories go. I wish there had been better character development of Ernest. I didn’t feel like I knew his true character.
The book alternates between 1940 and a bit to 1980. The shifting timeline is done minimally and well but the whole premise behind the 1980 time was not believable.
There are a few too many coincidences in the book that did not feel authentic…many chance encounters and near misses. The ending of the book with a military attack was difficult to follow. I wish the book focused less on the romantic relationship and more on the Chinese underground and plight of the refugees.
Thank you to Goodreads for this kindle version. I was a Goodreads giveaway winner.
The book focuses on two characters, a Jewish refugee (Ernest) and a Chinese heiress (Aiyi) who develop a romantic relationship. Their relationship is not acceptable to Aiyi’s family or society as a whole. The love story is mostly tolerable as love stories go. I wish there had been better character development of Ernest. I didn’t feel like I knew his true character.
The book alternates between 1940 and a bit to 1980. The shifting timeline is done minimally and well but the whole premise behind the 1980 time was not believable.
There are a few too many coincidences in the book that did not feel authentic…many chance encounters and near misses. The ending of the book with a military attack was difficult to follow. I wish the book focused less on the romantic relationship and more on the Chinese underground and plight of the refugees.
Thank you to Goodreads for this kindle version. I was a Goodreads giveaway winner.
katemaruyama's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jcarsrud's review
4.0
The book goes from nearly present day to sometime in the past when a tragedy happened. I like this format and enjoyed this story! I did know know anything about the Japanese invasion of China and am always amazed in how many different terrible things happened during this period.
If you like The Keeper of Lost Things, Winter Garden, or Before We Were Yours, you will like this book too!
If you like The Keeper of Lost Things, Winter Garden, or Before We Were Yours, you will like this book too!
heidirgorecki's review
3.0
I’ve never read about China during WW2 so I enjoyed learning the history while following Aiyi’s and Ernest’s stories. I was not a fan of the writing style - plot driving vs character driven, and fairly stiff and forced at times.
abrswf's review
3.0
The setting for this book — an intense love story between a Chinese woman and a Jewish refugee, playing out in Shanghai during the WW II Japanese occupation— is fascinating, and the story vibrates with emotion. But the writing is awkward, the metaphors are so odd they are sometimes incomprehensible, and the soap opera plot, which concludes abruptly with a final strained metaphor, felt like unnecessary dramatization of an already excruciating historical period.
sydknee3000's review against another edition
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
kellzzz730's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
yougotnojams's review
3.0
If you’re looking for a soapy historical fiction war story with a side of romance, then this book would be right up your alley. Overall, I enjoyed this book but the pacing and a few writing choices here and there was a little off putting.
lindzieh's review against another edition
3.0
This was just in for me. The book plot seemed to drag out and then when the twist happened at the end it was explained in 2 chapters. Maybe that would have been a better character development than the back and forth between main characters. It was an interesting idea and execution of a world war 2 topic I hadn’t read yet - Japanese occupation in Shanghai. Overall wasn’t a favorite for me but a good story. Just not a page turner for myself.