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Reviews
Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution by Helen Zia
muimei's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
emfiander's review
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Great narrative nonfiction. Really felt like I learned a lot about Shanghai and Chinese modern history while also caring about the individual stories of the four main characters. It felt balanced and comprehensive. Definitely recommend to anyone interested in learning about this era.
jbsweeting1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
sn03's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
oatylime's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I’ve been waiting for a book like this my whole Asian-American life.
draagon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
iliak1's review against another edition
5.0
Could not put this one down.
The childhood of four Chinese who found themselves in the exodus from Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War, and the impact on their subsequent lives after the war. Brilliantly written, inspiring, and gripping.
Most interesting is the historical information about Shanghai and the city that is was in the 1930s and 1940s. I appreciated the shifting viewpoints of the four main characters and their stories as they experience the same time periods and events that occur.
The weakness in the book comes where the author tries to apply the story to a broader one about the emigrants and refugees today. Of course, the ultimate rationale in reading history is the takeaway of what is relevant today, and what is universally true from the book, but the author's approach to explicitly highlight this and draw conclusions is ham-fisted and unnecessary. A better way of executing this message would perhaps have been to provide a clearer view into the character's thoughts as they were facing their situations and challenges and leave it to the reader to empathize more with the characters.
Despite weaknesses, still would highly recommend this book for those who enjoy memoirs or want to learn more about recent Chinese history.
Quotes:
The exodus out of Shanghai, like other human stampedes from danger, scattered its desperate migrants to any corner of the world where they might weather the storm. Seven decades later, stories of courage, strength, and resilience have emerged from the Shanghai exodus, offering a glimmer of insight, even hope, to newer waves of refugees who are struggling to stay afloat in the riptides of history.
The human spirit is willing to risk all to find peace and shelter from harm, even if their sacrifices may not bear fruit until the next generations.
The childhood of four Chinese who found themselves in the exodus from Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War, and the impact on their subsequent lives after the war. Brilliantly written, inspiring, and gripping.
Most interesting is the historical information about Shanghai and the city that is was in the 1930s and 1940s. I appreciated the shifting viewpoints of the four main characters and their stories as they experience the same time periods and events that occur.
The weakness in the book comes where the author tries to apply the story to a broader one about the emigrants and refugees today. Of course, the ultimate rationale in reading history is the takeaway of what is relevant today, and what is universally true from the book, but the author's approach to explicitly highlight this and draw conclusions is ham-fisted and unnecessary. A better way of executing this message would perhaps have been to provide a clearer view into the character's thoughts as they were facing their situations and challenges and leave it to the reader to empathize more with the characters.
Despite weaknesses, still would highly recommend this book for those who enjoy memoirs or want to learn more about recent Chinese history.
Quotes:
The exodus out of Shanghai, like other human stampedes from danger, scattered its desperate migrants to any corner of the world where they might weather the storm. Seven decades later, stories of courage, strength, and resilience have emerged from the Shanghai exodus, offering a glimmer of insight, even hope, to newer waves of refugees who are struggling to stay afloat in the riptides of history.
The human spirit is willing to risk all to find peace and shelter from harm, even if their sacrifices may not bear fruit until the next generations.
ktlee_writes's review against another edition
4.0
LAST BOAT OUT OF SHANGHAI: THE EPIC STORY OF THE CHINESE WHO FLED MAO’S REVOLUTION by Helen Zia paints the picture of Shanghai during the Japanese occupation from 1937-1945, through the end of the Chinese civil war with the Nationalists fleeing the country, and into the early years of Communist rule. Through the lens of four families that Zia follows as they flee Shanghai, the reader tracks the diaspora to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the U.S.
By choosing to tell the stories of families from disparate social strata - from a girl who is twice abandoned (first by her biological family, then by her adoptive family) to the son of a police commissioner and Japanese collaborator - Zia gives a more comprehensive look into the struggles and sudden reversals of fortune that characterized that tumultuous time.
Though I have studied a fair amount of Chinese history, this definitely filled a gap in my knowledge and gave me a deeper appreciation for the uncertainties of living in wartime as well as the travails of immigration. Somehow, it had never hit home to me before how cosmopolitan and developed Shanghai and certain parts of China were in the 1930s-40s, and Zia’s lively portrayal of the city, its schools, and its nightlife makes the contrast to the coming decades (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution) ever more disconcerting. The descriptions of life under Japanese occupation added to my personal stores of family tales of the same in Hong Kong.
Anyone interested in learning more about Chinese history, civilians in wartime, refugees, and the forces of migration would gain a lot from this book. Zia is a captivating storyteller who draws on countless hours of interviews to make the reader feel like they are right there with the subjects.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which worked well for me, but which others may find confusing as the narrative switches among the four families. Recommended pairings: THE POPPY WAR (Second Sino-Japanese War, fantasy), THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS (Romeo and Juliet retelling set in Shanghai), THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS (migration, nonfiction).
By choosing to tell the stories of families from disparate social strata - from a girl who is twice abandoned (first by her biological family, then by her adoptive family) to the son of a police commissioner and Japanese collaborator - Zia gives a more comprehensive look into the struggles and sudden reversals of fortune that characterized that tumultuous time.
Though I have studied a fair amount of Chinese history, this definitely filled a gap in my knowledge and gave me a deeper appreciation for the uncertainties of living in wartime as well as the travails of immigration. Somehow, it had never hit home to me before how cosmopolitan and developed Shanghai and certain parts of China were in the 1930s-40s, and Zia’s lively portrayal of the city, its schools, and its nightlife makes the contrast to the coming decades (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution) ever more disconcerting. The descriptions of life under Japanese occupation added to my personal stores of family tales of the same in Hong Kong.
Anyone interested in learning more about Chinese history, civilians in wartime, refugees, and the forces of migration would gain a lot from this book. Zia is a captivating storyteller who draws on countless hours of interviews to make the reader feel like they are right there with the subjects.
I listened to this as an audiobook, which worked well for me, but which others may find confusing as the narrative switches among the four families. Recommended pairings: THE POPPY WAR (Second Sino-Japanese War, fantasy), THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS (Romeo and Juliet retelling set in Shanghai), THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS (migration, nonfiction).