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A review by iliak1
Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution by Helen Zia
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.