Synopsis: Warsaw, Poland. The year is 1940 and Lillia is 15 when her mother, Alenka, disappears and her father flees with Lillia and her younger sister, Naomi, to Shanghai, one of the few places that will accept Jews without visas. There they struggle to make a life; they have no money, there is little work, no decent place to live, a culture that doesn't understand them. And always the worry about Alenka. How will she find them? Is she still alive?
Meanwhile Lillia is growing up, trying to care for Naomi, whose development is frighteningly slow, in part from malnourishment. Lillia finds an outlet for her artistic talent by making puppets, remembering the happy days in Warsaw when they were circus performers. She attends school sporadically, makes friends with Wei, a Chinese boy, and finds work as a performer at a "gentlemen's club" without her father's knowledge.
But meanwhile the conflict grows more intense as the Americans declare war and the Japanese force the Americans in Shanghai into camps. More bombing, more death. Can they survive, caught in the crossfire?
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About the Author: Rachel spent her twenties in China as a consultant, writer, and the unlikely star of a nighttime soap opera called “Foreign Babes in Beijing.” Her memoir of those years, Foreign Babes in Beijing, has been published in six countries and is being developed as a television series by HBO. Her novel Repeat After Me, about a young American ESL teacher, a troubled Chinese radical, and their unexpected New York romance, won a Foreward Magazine Book of the Year award. Her third book, the novel Big Girl Small, is forthcoming from FSG in 2011. Rachel has a BA in English from Columbia and an MFA in poetry from Boston University. Rachel divides her time between NYC, Chicago, and Beijing with her husband, playwright Zayd Dohrn, and their two little girls.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
My Review: This was a fairly interesting title but I have to say that the story itself it dragged a bit. I love this time in history and learning more about it. I enjoyed the characters as well. I just wished that the story itself would have had better pacing. If you don't mind slower titles then this one could work for you. I do think that I would check out this author's other titles.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
My Review: This was a fairly interesting title but I have to say that the story itself it dragged a bit. I love this time in history and learning more about it. I enjoyed the characters as well. I just wished that the story itself would have had better pacing. If you don't mind slower titles then this one could work for you. I do think that I would check out this author's other titles.
★ "DeWoskin explores a rarely depicted topic. . .A beautifully nuanced exploration of culture and people." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "An unusual portrait of what war does to families in general and children in particular . . . affirms the human need for art and beauty in hard times." -Booklist, starred review
"A provocative exploration of what resilience means when you’re pushed to the edge." -BCCB
★ "An unusual portrait of what war does to families in general and children in particular . . . affirms the human need for art and beauty in hard times." -Booklist, starred review
"A provocative exploration of what resilience means when you’re pushed to the edge." -BCCB
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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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