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“This is one of those stories I’ve always wanted to tell, but Lisa See
beat me to it, and she did it better than I ever could. Bravo! Here’s a
roaring standing ovation for this heartwarming journey into the
glittering golden age of Chinese nightclubs.”
— Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Songs of Willow Frost
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Superb . . . This emotional, informative and brilliant page-turner resonates with resilience and humanity.
— The Washington Post
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This is one of those stories I’ve always wanted to tell, but Lisa See beat me to it, and she did it better than I ever could. Bravo! Here’s a roaring standing ovation for this heartwarming journey into the glittering golden age of Chinese nightclubs.
— Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
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A fascinating portrait of life as a Chinese-American woman in the 1930s and ’40s.
— The New York Times Book Review
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A sweeping, turbulent tale of passion, friendship, good fortune, bad fortune, perfidy and the hope of reconciliation.
— Los Angeles Times
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Lisa See masterfully creates unforgettable characters that linger in your memory long after you close the pages.
— Bookreporter
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Stellar . . . The depth of See’s characters and her winning prose makes this book a wonderful journey through love and loss.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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China Dolls plunges us into a fascinating history and offers an accessible meditation on themes that are still urgent in our contemporary world. The women’s story explores burning questions about the possibilities of friendship, the profound effects of betrayal, the horrors of prejudice and the nature of ambition—especially female ambition. . . . These Asian artists were true pioneers, breaking ground, chasing vast dreams, subverting stereotypes simply by appearing onstage against the odds. Here, in China Dolls, they have found another stage of sorts, another place to rightfully shine.
— San Francisco Chronicle
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China Dolls is [Lisa See’s] most penetrating since Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
— The Seattle Times
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A spellbinding portrait of a time burning with opportunity and mystery.
— O: The Oprah Magazine
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[An] impeccably researched and distinctive historical saga of desire and ambition, betrayal and revenge . . . See again lavishly explores the thorny intricacies of female friendships.
— Booklist
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Fresh and lively . . . powerful passages . . . a compelling story.
— Los Angeles Review of Books
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China Dolls mines a fascinating part of our cultural history through the story of a trio of women who become a complex constant in one another’s lives even as the world serves up painful transformation. Lisa See gets so much just right here. You’ll want to dive right in.
— Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife
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Colorful and fascinating historical touches tie the story together perfectly and form an exquisite backdrop.
— Library Journal
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“China Dolls mines a fascinating part of our cultural history
through the story of a trio of women who become a complex constant in
one another’s lives even as the world serves up painful transformation.
Lisa See gets so much just right here. You’ll want to dive right in.”
— Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife
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“A fascinating portrait of life as a Chinese-American woman in the 1930s and ’40s.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“In the beginning of See’s stellar ninth book, three young women, Grace, Helen, and Ruby, meet and
form an unlikely but strong bond in San Francisco in 1938…The story alternates between their viewpoints, with each woman’s voice
strong and dynamic, developing a multilayered richness as it progresses.
The depth of See’s characters and her winning prose makes this book a
wonderful journey through love and loss.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“See’s many fans will…enjoy watching each protagonist’s true story
unfold; they will also be intrigued by the vivacity of the ‘Chop Suey
Circuit.’ These colorful and fascinating historical touches tie the
story together perfectly and form an exquisite backdrop for the
adventures of the three friends.”
— Library Journal
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“In her impeccably researched and distinctive
historical saga of desire and ambition, betrayal and revenge set amid
the glitz and debauchery of burlesque entertainment on the ‘chop suey
circuit,’ See again lavishly explores the thorny intricacies of female friendships.”
— Booklist
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“See’s latest follows three Asian American showgirls whose dreams are derailed then reset by the onset of World War II…A welcome spotlight on an overlooked segment of showbiz history.”
— Kirkus Reviews