MY REVIEW:
Random House Publishing|June 3, 2014|Hardcover|ISBN: 987-0-8129-9289-2
It's 1938 in San Francisco: a world's fair is preparing to open on Treasure Island, a war is brewing overseas, and the city is alive with possibilities. Grace, Helen, and Ruby, three young women from very different backgrounds, meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub. Grace Lee, an American-born Chinese girl, has fled the Midwest with nothing but heartache, talent, and a pair of dancing shoes. Helen Fong lives with her extended family in Chinatown, where her traditional parents insist that she guard her reputation like a piece of jade. The stunning Ruby Tom challenges the boundaries of convention at every turn with her definat attitude and no-holds-barred ambition.
The girls become fast friends, relying on one another through unexpected challenges and shifting fortunes. When their dark secrets are exposed and the invisible thread of fate binds them even tighter, they find the strength and resilience to reach for their dreams. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion threaten to destroy their lives, and a shocking act of betrayal changes everything.
And what a shocking betrayal it was. I didn't expect this to happen at all and was quite taken aback that something like this would threaten to rip all they had worked hard for apart. But somehow, Grace, Helen and Ruby had to continue on the best they knew how in order to maintain some sense of decorum and sensibility in their lives.
CHINA DOLLS is impossible to put down. Just like Lisa See's other novel 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan', CHINA DOLLS will have you turning page after page late into the night. The descriptions are so well done that you can picture in your mind's eye the inside of each of the clubs the girls play in, you see the patrons who frequent their shows and smell the odors wafting from the rooms and tables in the venues. It's like having a ring-side seat.
Once again, Lisa See has outdone herself with this marvelous piece of literature that I would highly recommend to anyone. You won't be sorry and it's worth it's weight in gold and gripping read.
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