Review- China Dolls by Lisa See -4 1/2*

Title: China Dolls
Author: Lisa See
Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: * * * * 

Publishers: Random House Trade Paperbacks

(Mar 3, 2015)

Paperback: 416 pages

ISBN: 978-0812982824

FTC Disclosure: Copy provided by the publisher 

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 defiant 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.

This is the first Lisa See book I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed both the San Francisco setting and pre-WWII era. I knew very little about the treatment of either the Chinese or Japanese before and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I've got to admit it was a real eye opener. The references to articles in Time and Life magazine on how to tell the difference between a Chinese or Jap  was truly horrifying as were the request for licenses to hunt Japs. 

I loved the period details about the songs, TV programs, movies and actors. Reading about the World's Fair on Treasure Island and visiting the nightclub, Forbidden City, was enlightening. It was fascinating seeing the changes in the lives of women during this period of time. 

Despite the fact that the story is told from three different POVs, something I hate and normally refuse to read, I read nonstop to the end barely taking the time to stop and eat.