 HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I loved Shanghai when we visited it right after Tiananmen Square, and so really enjoyed reading this magical book about what it was like as the Chinese republic emerged.
The book is about a young Eurasian orphan whose courtesan mother abandons her in the courtyard of a large estate, in which she and her mother had lived in the now-decaying Western Residence. It was a fascinating glimpse into how common it was for Chinese men to have multiple wives and mistresses and concubines then, how ruthlessly the children of foreigners with Chinese women were discriminated against, but mostly, how the spirit world was incorporated into day to day life. The girl, Jialing, survives because the family that buys the property after her mother and the other mysterious residents decamp, agree to take her on as a bond servant, so the grandmother can earn credit for her next life. The story follows Jialing’s childhood, befriended by the Fox spirit who lives under a hydrangea bush, the eldest daughter of the new family that has moved in, and a young English girl who ends up vanishing. As she grows up, she is consumed by the need to find her mother, and understand why she was abandoned, and it is only her determination and the occasional protection of her Fox spirit that keep her safe. She eventually finds herself caught up in a mystery and the cauldron of political intrigue that gripped Shanghai as the regime changed, then being torn between a life of safety and comfort and the man she realizes she loves. Buy it on Amazon by clicking here. #DragonSpringsRoad #JanieChang
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