This was a very engaging story, I was hooked in the first chapter. It paints two very different pictures of Shanghai from pre and post war times. The authors descriptions are so vivid it's like you can hear the sounds and taste the smells she describes. The story of the two sisters is one of amazing courage, friendship, and perserverance. It's hard to believe the way they had to live in San Francisco in the not so distant past. Although the book spans about 20 years, the ending almost seems too abrupt. I'm hoping the author follows up with a second book to let us know what happens in the lives which you become so engrossed in.

Loved it....like all of Lisa See's novels. It's more modern than snowflower and Peony but just as captivating. I could read it again, and I just finished it........2 days......couldn't put it down.