A review by beca_reads
The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel

emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The last rose of Shanghai does a brilliant job of exploring how Asian countries were affected by war. This side of the war is not covered at all in UK schools, so I had very little knowledge before reading this book. The book is told through dual perspective. We first meet Aiyi, an heiress who also owns a club in shanghai. Ernest is a Jewish refugee who has been driven out of Germany, and arrives in Shanghai, he impress Aiyi with his piano playing and ends up working for her. We see them both struggle in their own ways. Aiyi struggles with the pressures of having to marry the man her family have chose her, while Ernest is struggling to support his little sister Miriam. Throughout the book Aiyi and Ernest are torn apart when all they want to do is be together. We watch as the war takes over Shanghai, and how they both lose everything they worked hard for. This book shows the cultural differences, and what it was like to be a Jew in Asia at the time. Antisemitism is one of the main themes throughout the book, specifically told from Ernest's point of view, and is done in delicate manner, showing the difficulties he faced throughout the book. The pacing of the book was perfect and the ending to this book was perfect giving both character's somewhat of a happy ending. This book deserves all the praise in the world, and I will definitely be recommending.  
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