China Dolls: A Novel

Sequins and feathers. The prolific Lisa See proves once more than only a woman can write about women. The great heroines of literary history, created by men, are fantasy creatures to fill a man’s window dressing, they are showcase, but Lisa’s are truly women, the pettiness and grandeur, the rising and ebbing tides of hormones and hell-raising, jealousy and pain, the neurosis. Her previous books perhaps deluded us into thinking she had only done her genetic and emotional homework on Chinese women, and their culture and their traditions, their transitions and tribulations, and her prose was poetic, up to the task. China Dolls, however, is rough, it’s thirties and forties, and Lisa has gone through all the files to verify the background: all the nuance is there for the touching, and taking. Again we have Oriental women, but in the context of the United States, the end of the Depression and the duration of the Second World War. There was hatred and prejudice, but the whole country rallied. Not a soul failed to contribute whatever possible, in time, talent, goods, effort, and Victory was surely a given, but the human toll could not have been determined by p.r. strategies, national feeling, patriotism, rationing or the collection of scrap iron. That came with the aftermath, with people who started out with fixed ideas and came home transformed by what they had seen and learned, what they had experienced of a world beyond their frontiers. And the world of Oriental talent? The showcase for Oriental entertainers? Lisa takes us onstage and backstage, with exceptional insights. Her editorial structure is also right on target, and serves her purposes well and bravely, departing from a quote attributed to the Buddha: “Only three things can never be hidden, the Sun, the Moon and the Truth”. Yet each is relative, and so is life. A terrific book, hard to put down.

was first introduced to Lisa See in 2009 when my sister-in-law lent me a copy of Peony in Love. Since reading that haunting love story, I've been a fan and read most all of her books. Her latest release China Dolls is no less captivating, but not quite as poetic as some of her other books. Set in San Francisco following the depression in the years leading up to World War II, this novel follows the lives of three very different young women as they follow their dreams and hearts. One of them, Ruby, is Japanese trying to pass as Chinese to avoid the bigotry and fear of her ancestral homeland. The other two, Grace and Helen, are Chinese but from very different circumstances and families. The three of them meet in 1938 and end up in a very fragile and volatile trio of "China Doll" performers. All of the three protagonists think only of themselves when crises occur, and they hit with vicious frequency. It's hard to imagine how they could be friends again after some of the things that happen. But they are sewn together with a thin thread that sometimes breaks, but is always mended by some invisible force sewing them together in a patchwork quilt of familiarity. China Dolls is a compelling read, and even though I didn't really like the three main characters, I couldn't wait to find out how they might squirm out of their most recent predicaments. The novel explores the internment policies of the United States during World War II, and the reader is taken into the camps where the Japanese were herded during those dark and scary days. Given what's happening today with all Muslims marked by those claiming to follow Islam, the story is a haunting reminder of what we did previously, and why it didn't work then and should never be considered now. It's worthwhile to read for this part of the story alone. I did find one aspect disturbing and thought the author had a chance to speak out against domestic violence in the life on one of the characters (trying not to give out a spoiler here!), but instead she chose to push it aside. Instead, the abuser is excused because of the hardships in his early life. In my mind, there is no excuse for abuse of anyone, particularly a young defenseless child. Lisa See is a master storyteller, and she shines in this novel. How else to explain why I continued reading with anticipation a novel dotted with characters I didn't admire or want to be? These three women are anti-heroes in some ways, yet their stories are compelling and presented in a fascinating package.

"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is one of my top 10-best books of all time, and I recommend it at every opportunity. I have loved several other books by Lisa See. China Dolls I did not love. I bought it in spite of other reviewers being disappointed. They were right, everything about this book is a disappointment. None of the 3 girls are likeable. They all have backstories and secrets. Helen's story is very tragic, but by the time it is revealed, it's too late for this reader to care about her. Ruby's secret leads to her arrest, but she is a nasty and selfish girl and I didn't care about her. Grace has almost no character development or growth at all. She is just a young romantic who (other than running away from home) never takes charge of her life or relationships. Although she comes from an abusive background, there is nothing about her either that I cared about. These 3 were lucky to be able to support themselves doing something they loved but their lives were shallow and boring and meaningless. I guess Lisa See wanted to write about Chinese entertainers in San Francisco before and after WWII, but I can't think why. If the main characters are uninteresting and unlikeable, why bother writing or reading about them? Other reviewers have used terms such as superb, brilliant page turner, fascinating. I don't see it at all. The only reason I finished it was because I (almost) always finish books I start, and I kept hoping something would happen. Even on those occasions when something did happen, it underwhelmed. This is just a shallow book where all the women are beautiful and all the men are gorgeous and that is all that matters. If they had been regular looking people, the story would have been quite different. I do not recommend this book, especially to Lisa See fans.

I'm loving this book, about three young Asian girls in their late teens, coming of age in San Francisco prior to the great depression and World War II. The historical time frame in the beginning of the book takes place when Japan was invading China during its colonial era. I bought this on my kindle for only $11, what a great buy. I recommend looking inside the book to read a few pages if you can to see if you like the book. I think the author does an excellent job not only writing the book but her factual knowledge of the Chinese and Japanese cultures and the historical setting in which the book is written (which is very rare). I haven't finished the book but for the most part its an uplifting story and as you read you get little hints as to which way you think the narative will take you which I love. So far nothing tragic in this story occurs like in some of Amy Tan's books (which are also excellent) Don't get discouraged after reading the first few chapters, its a little confusing to know which character she is writing about at first but it becomes very clear after the first few chapters.

I’ve always enjoyed books by Lisa See and this one didn’t disappoint. China Dolls is the story of three young women in San Francisco that seek employment as entertainers (dancing, singing, etc.) in the Chinese American nightclub era. While the story and characters are fictional, they are based on a true time period and a true places in San Francisco. The story is one of friendship, perseverance through World War II and all that came with it, love and deep dark secrets! Each of the girls in their own right have a very unique story with secrets that make up who they are. This book deals with family drama, friendship ups and downs, war, racism, love, ambition, courage and loyalty. I loved the individual stories of the girls and how they seem to slowly unfold into each other’s stories until they were all intertwined. The struggles these women faced in their lives before and while they were friends are tremendous and sad but also invigorating because it’s what drove them to be; individually and as a trip. I struggled with the racism depicted in the story – it was really disturbing and at times uncomfortable to read about; but it was also very educational as it opened my eyes to the kind of world these young women had to live in and what life was like if you were a Japanese American during World War II. Overall I really enjoyed the book, and the characters!

The moving story of three Asian-American girls during the depression era, the Second World War and the subsequent years. The friendships, loves and betrayals are in the core of this novel which relives the show-business of those turbulent times. Lisa Lee’s excellent research of those years as well as her great writing style makes this a great novel!

I found this to be a very captivating story of women whose lives connected in friendship. Set in Pre WWII San Francisco these Asian women had to deal with the traditional ideal of their families in a world that was quickly becoming modern and terrifying to their communities. These women were outcasts but longed for an American life style and they found in in the entertainment area and in love affairs. The feeling of the life of a chorus girl in a nightclub was very believable. Her cast of characters and the complex plotting get my attention and I was shocked and cried at different points. I think this will make a great movie. The writing could have been a little tighter but over all this was a very good read.

I enjoyed the breadth of the story and stepping into this time period and learning about an aspect of WWII history with which I wasn’t very familiar. But, I have to say, this is not Lisa See’s best writing. But it was enjoyable.