China Dolls (novel)
| Author | Lisa See |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Random House, Inc. |
|
Publication date
|
2014 |
| ISBN |
China Dolls is a 2014 novel by Lisa See. It depicts the largely forgotten world of Chinese American nightclubs and performers of the '30s and '40s. The book opens with a quotation attributed to Buddha: “Only three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” See organizes her narrative around these three elements – The Sun (October 1938 – August 1940; The Moon (August 1940 – September 1945); and The Truth (December 1945-June 1948). The novel briefly concludes with a reunion of many of the main characters in 1988.
The novel debuted at #10 on the New York Times best seller list of hardcover fiction. It led the San Francisco Chronicle's list of recommended new books June 15, 2014.
See did extensive research in writing China Dolls. Part of it involved interviews with performers from the world she writes about in the novel. This process was very important in developing her story. "I have incorporated many anecdotes from people who lived through the Chinese-American nightclub era to create my fictional characters." She has posted an online collection of materials related to the people, places, music, and events that provide historical background to the novel. See originally wrote the novel with Grace as narrator but later revised it so that Grace, Ruby, and Helen alternate the narration.
China Dolls was partly inspired by the real life events of Midi Taka of the vaudeville act Taka Sisters. Midi was tragically murdered in a love triangle.
China Dolls centers on three young women who are attracted to the San Francisco nightclub scene right before American involvement in World War II. At first Grace Lee, Helen Fong, and Ruby Tom seem the unlikeliest of friends. Grace is a seventeen-year-old Chinese American from Plain City, Ohio. She escapes to San Francisco to get away from an abusive father but is also driven by dreams of stardom based on her dancing skills. Where Grace has been completely cut off by her family from her Chinese heritage, Helen is a virtual prisoner in the wealthy family compound of her father, forced to play a subservient role in a Chinese world that denies her freedom. Ruby Tom brings a completely different background to the mix. Coming from a Japanese family with strong roots in Japanese history and culture, Ruby is totally committed to becoming famous in America, leaving her parents in Hawaii to do so.
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