On the back of Shanghai Girl the blurb says that this “is a contemporary tale of two cities; Shanghai and New York. A story of love and intrigue, of interracial sex and murder, of ambition and the changing political scene in the U.S. It is a manifestation of the American Dream in the modern world.” I just can’t say it any better myself. 

Shanghai Girl is set in the 1980s and told through three main characters. We are first introduced to Sha-fei, a local girl living and going to school in Shanghai. She’s had an interesting past. Her father was arrested when she was a young girl on suspicion of being a spy for the Americans and as a result Sha-fei has lived the life of an outcast in the close knit and nosey neighborhood she grew up in.  

But having American connections isn’t always a bad thing. Year’s later, after her father’s death a Chinese-American friend of his, Gordon Lou, sends a letter which Sha-fei receives. Although her father is dead, it is decided that she will go in his place to meet this man.  

The second character we meet is of course Gordon Lou, the friend of Sha-fei’s father. We are introduced to him while preparing for the business trip which leads him to Shanghai and Sha-fei. He is a powerful man in the business and political world, the kind of man who is polished and street smart though not necessarily nice. Eventually he becomes her sponsor and enables Sha-fei to immigrate to the United States.     

Finally we meet Edward Cook, the third and final character who completes this interesting threesome. While he doesn’t exactly endear himself to you at first, or really over time, he is an important person in Sha-fei’s life and in a lot of ways helps her to choose the path she takes.  

Sha-fei’s voice is the one that I found myself most able to relate to, though Gordon and Ed were both captivating in their own way as well. The three tell a single story, weaving lives and experiences together to create a novel that is hard to put down once you’ve picked it up.  

Ms. Yang through her novel and characters comments on everything from feminism to the experiences someone goes through as they immigrate to the United States. It’s absolutely fascinating to read about experiences which were so alien to me. Ms. Yang puts it all out there, honestly and unflinchingly.   

Believe it or not Shanghai Girl, published in 2001, is Vivian Yang’s first novel. Not only is it her first novel but English isn’t even Ms. Yang’s first language. While reading Shanghai Girl I was continually amazed by the depth of her characters. I had this overwhelming feeling that I was reading about real people, people who Ms. Yang could have met while living in Shanghai or New York, or maybe even different pieces of her self. She masterly transports the living onto the page in a way that is sure to make any writer jealous and any reader sit up and take notice. 

I’m not saying that Shanghai Girl is perfect; there are a few incidents that could have been expounded on. But there is a lot to recommend Shanghai Girl at the same time. Vivian Yang is a very talented author and I can just imagine what other stories she has waiting up her sleeves. I’m looking forward to reading them and watching the world pass by through her eyes.