What readers think of Daughters of Shandong, plus links to write your own review.

A fast paced historical fiction novel that keeps the reader turning pages until the end. The reader follows the Ang women as they flee from their home in Shandong, China to Taiwan during the Chinese Communist Party's overthrow of the Nationalist Party. A story of the power of resourcefulness, resilience, and love prevailing over cultural beliefs, poverty and cruelty. The best historical fiction I've read this year.

I loved this story set during the Communist takeover of China. I learned about the history and culture of China which highlighted the destruction of the people and their way of life during this time, the brutality of war, and gender inequality. From the story's emphasis on gender inequality, I learned about the damage that it has on individuals and its harsh effects on society. I was moved by the relationships and the portrayal of the mother and her daughters in their relentless struggle to survive as their lives were continually torn apart. I was uplifted to read about the kindness that some people displayed helping others in similar situations while enduring unspeakable hardship. I have added this book to my list for our book club and look forward to a meaningful discussion.

Daughters of Shandong was both very sad and very uplifting - it allowed me to better understand how wars / revolutions impact refugees, as well as the indestructability of the human spirit working against the tide of bureaucracy, war, politics, and tradition.

I have read other books about the Chinese Revolution, so I was not surprised by the brutality of the treatment that many of the Chinese landowners faced. The Ang family are wealthy landowners. They are warned that the Nationalists are losing the war and they should escape to avoid the wrath of the Communist party. Hai, her sisters and mother are chosen to guard the family home, so the rest of the family can escape to safety. The women are soon forced to leave the home and are faced with huge obstacles as refugees. Many of the friends that they make as refugees are far more generous and caring than the Ang family that they lived with. The mother and her daughters’ treatment in their family home was infuriating. Girls were disposable, and if you didn’t give birth to a boy – you were worthless. This book is a fictionalized account of Eve Chung’s grandparents and is definitely a page turner.

This is one of the best books I've read all year! The story of the Ang family and the harrowing journey of Hai, Di, Lan and their Mom as they flee Communist China to be reunited with their with Dad in Taiwan kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next. This novel is very good and it was hard to put down until the end.

Although this is a novel it is based on historical events. It is well written and descriptive which made putting it down difficult as I wanted to continue! One becomes totally immersed in the lives and culture of this Chinese family. Learning about the history of the Chinese Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek versus The Peoples Republic of China under Mao Zedong was alarming. When the family fled, Hua, her mother and sisters were abandoned by their father and the Ang family only because they were female and thus dispensable. Their incredible journey for survival through mainland China to Taiwan and a future was fraught with so many difficulties but their will and strength to go on was beyond comprehension. I felt as if I with them every step of their journey!

It's difficult these days to comprehend what's happening to people especially children in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine. Power struggles kill everyday people and there are places around the world that have dealt with oppression for centuries. The Daughters of Shandong highlights this struggle between Mao and Chang Kai-Shek, between Communists and Nationalists. Mao's cadres killed and tortured wealthy landlords in the name of giving back to the common man. This left many people, especially women and children with no family support. They were left to beg, steal, and survive anyway possible. This book tells the story of one such family, Hai, her sisters and her mother who are abandoned by their family and grandparents primarily because they are female and of no value. Hai is tortured in lieu of her father being the oldest. The family sets out on a journey to find their family which takes them deeper into poverty, despair and squalor in every new place along the way. But they are resilient and resourceful and finally rejoin their family in Taiwan. Hai and her sister, Di are able to break the bonds of tradition and gain an education and jobs. It's a book of faith, hope, charity and lots of luck. I loved every minute. It's also a great book for book clubs because it will spark a lot of discussion, especially about gender inequality

Daughters of Shandong is now on the top of my list of historical fiction novels. The author transports the reader into the eye of Chinese history and shows the incredible strength and fortitude of women who refused to be oppressed so that their daughters could rise above the hardships of cultural and political challenges and injustice. I found the story fascinating, compelling and surprisingly easy to read, despite the intense and, at times, brutal subject matter(s).