The sweeping, multigenerational story of two women-a grandmother and granddaughter-who fight to carve out a place for themselves as women in Shanghai society. Mini Pao lives with her sister and two parents in the British-occupied Shanghai of the 1930s, renowned for its vibrant night life, stunning architecture, and repressive social mores. Mini's struggle to provide for herself and her family while grappling with her desire for romance and independence comes into sharp contrast with the life of her granddaughter, Ting, told in alternating chapters. Ting also resides in Shanghai, decades later in the 1980s, when the city has been transformed beyond recognition by the communist structures of Chairman Mao. Ting's strict, sheltered upbringing only fuels her curiosity about her grandmother's glamorous past, and she is driven to uncover tragic secrets, grapple with painful truths, and face the hard reality of what the future holds for her if she remains in Shanghai.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.