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RECUERDOS DEL VIEJO SHANGHÁI. Memorias de miembros de la alta sociedad, eruditos y bribones
Isabel Sun crece en el fascinante Shanghái de los años treinta y cuarenta rodeada de lujos y privilegios. La posición de su acomodada familia la protege de los horrores de la guerra civil y de la ocupación japonesa.
Cuando Mao llega al poder, Isabel, de dieciocho años, viaja a Hong Kong para pasar unos días de vacaciones. No sabe entonces que esa ciudad se convertirá en su hogar y que jamás volverá a ver a su padre.
Cincuenta años después, acompañada de su hija Claire, regresa a Shanghái para enfrentarse al pasado de su familia, un pasado lleno de glamour, drama y tragedia, amor, traiciones, concubinas, palacios resplandecientes y gánsteres.
Profusamente ilustrado y meticulosamente investigado, Recuerdos del Viejo Shanghái recorre la historia de cinco generaciones de una familia, desde los últimos días del dominio imperial hasta la Revolución Cultural. Unas vívidas memorias, desgarradoras y conmovedoras a partes iguales, que exploran la identidad, la pérdida y la redención en un escenario épico.
Cuando Mao llega al poder, Isabel, de dieciocho años, viaja a Hong Kong para pasar unos días de vacaciones. No sabe entonces que esa ciudad se convertirá en su hogar y que jamás volverá a ver a su padre.
Cincuenta años después, acompañada de su hija Claire, regresa a Shanghái para enfrentarse al pasado de su familia, un pasado lleno de glamour, drama y tragedia, amor, traiciones, concubinas, palacios resplandecientes y gánsteres.
Profusamente ilustrado y meticulosamente investigado, Recuerdos del Viejo Shanghái recorre la historia de cinco generaciones de una familia, desde los últimos días del dominio imperial hasta la Revolución Cultural. Unas vívidas memorias, desgarradoras y conmovedoras a partes iguales, que exploran la identidad, la pérdida y la redención en un escenario épico.
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2018
621 people are currently reading
3767 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
April 13, 2018
Riveting! This debut is an engrossing and unique look Chinese twentieth century history from the cultural revolution to modern times told through five generations of an elite (and colorful!) family. Told from the perspective of Isabel Chao who was raised in glamorous Old Shanghai by her daughter Claire Chao, this intimate portrait offers a first hand look at the untold story of China - ranging from glamour, cruelty, heartbreak, betrayal to triumphs and resilience. This unique and beautiful family portrait that offers title is perfect for a book club, and anyone interested in Chinese culture or looking for a engrossing story. I love this book!
September 30, 2020
Full disclosure: I am narrating the audiobook for this, so get excited!
This memoir strikes a personal register. I realize, sitting here at the end of it, that I've never actually read a Chinese memoir of any kind, male, female, American, Chinese, present, past, nothing. So it's hard to describe the feelings that begin to stir as you reach back into your own under-investigated heritage, when you're looking at images of stunning young women that could be your own mom or grandmom, when you read about the glitz and the glamour of old Shanghai, when you realize just how narrowly you were passed up by foot binding, concubines, and Cultural Revolutions. There are so many aspects of Chinese culture that were a delight to remember and appreciate (art, food, language), and I also found myself learning a great deal of Chinese history that I was not aware of, both the good and the bad. By some wonder of the Chao mother-daughter duo, the socialites, scholars, and scoundrels of Shanghai are indeed brought fully to life within these pages, and the reader is immersed in their beautiful technicolor vision. A rare reading experience, and a rich and engaging world that I am proud to soon be a part of.
This memoir strikes a personal register. I realize, sitting here at the end of it, that I've never actually read a Chinese memoir of any kind, male, female, American, Chinese, present, past, nothing. So it's hard to describe the feelings that begin to stir as you reach back into your own under-investigated heritage, when you're looking at images of stunning young women that could be your own mom or grandmom, when you read about the glitz and the glamour of old Shanghai, when you realize just how narrowly you were passed up by foot binding, concubines, and Cultural Revolutions. There are so many aspects of Chinese culture that were a delight to remember and appreciate (art, food, language), and I also found myself learning a great deal of Chinese history that I was not aware of, both the good and the bad. By some wonder of the Chao mother-daughter duo, the socialites, scholars, and scoundrels of Shanghai are indeed brought fully to life within these pages, and the reader is immersed in their beautiful technicolor vision. A rare reading experience, and a rich and engaging world that I am proud to soon be a part of.
October 25, 2018
Although it’s called a memoir, this book is also a work of art and a fascinating bit of history. The authors are mother and daughter, Isabel being the mother who was born in Shanghai in 1931. Claire was born in 1961 when the family lived in Hong Kong.
Isabel’s father moved to Shanghai in 1913 when she was an infant, the only child of prosperous parents. During Isabel’s younger years, Shanghai was a haven for the displaced: Russians fleeing Bolsheviks, Jews fleeing Nazis, Communists in hiding and refugees seeking shelter. The city even had two different electrical systems with 110 volts on the French side and 220 volts in the International Settlement.
In the late 1920s the Kuomintang were hunting down the revered Communist revolutionary, Zhou Enlai, who was hiding in Shanghai.. The leader of the Kuomintang was Chang Kai-shek. The Communists eventually took over in October 1949 when Chairman Mao Zedong declared the nation as the Peoples Republic of China. Chang Kai-shek and his citizens escaped to Formosa which is now Taiwan.
Japan invaded China in the late 1930s before the start of WWII. One of the things they did was to ban the use of radios by Shanghai residents, a crude attempt at blocking American broadcasts by such luminous “enemies” as Bing Crosby. After the war Isabel recalled her love of watching American movies. Some of her favorites were Gone with the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Kismet, and All This and Heaven Too starring Bette Davis.
Isabel and Claire wrote different parts of the book but Isabel is the principle author. The text shown in normal English characters is Isabel’s narrative while those sections in italics are the results of Claire’s research. The book is a fascinating bit of history, populated with photographs of family members along with colorful sketches of street scenes, buildings and historic paintings. There is also a family tree diagram and a glossary of Chinese words with their English translations.
This is a wonderful and highly unusual book, a valuable addition to the personal library of anyone who is interested in the history and customs of China.
Isabel’s father moved to Shanghai in 1913 when she was an infant, the only child of prosperous parents. During Isabel’s younger years, Shanghai was a haven for the displaced: Russians fleeing Bolsheviks, Jews fleeing Nazis, Communists in hiding and refugees seeking shelter. The city even had two different electrical systems with 110 volts on the French side and 220 volts in the International Settlement.
In the late 1920s the Kuomintang were hunting down the revered Communist revolutionary, Zhou Enlai, who was hiding in Shanghai.. The leader of the Kuomintang was Chang Kai-shek. The Communists eventually took over in October 1949 when Chairman Mao Zedong declared the nation as the Peoples Republic of China. Chang Kai-shek and his citizens escaped to Formosa which is now Taiwan.
Japan invaded China in the late 1930s before the start of WWII. One of the things they did was to ban the use of radios by Shanghai residents, a crude attempt at blocking American broadcasts by such luminous “enemies” as Bing Crosby. After the war Isabel recalled her love of watching American movies. Some of her favorites were Gone with the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Kismet, and All This and Heaven Too starring Bette Davis.
Isabel and Claire wrote different parts of the book but Isabel is the principle author. The text shown in normal English characters is Isabel’s narrative while those sections in italics are the results of Claire’s research. The book is a fascinating bit of history, populated with photographs of family members along with colorful sketches of street scenes, buildings and historic paintings. There is also a family tree diagram and a glossary of Chinese words with their English translations.
This is a wonderful and highly unusual book, a valuable addition to the personal library of anyone who is interested in the history and customs of China.
November 9, 2021
Remembering Shanghai is such a beautiful book that is part memoir, part history book, one that reads like fiction, and one deserving of all the accolades. I found the story riveting and with the accompanying photographs making this an immersive, vivid, and propulsive read. I loved this!
April 15, 2018
There are so many ways to tell a family story, and so many ways to tell history, and yet Claire and Isabel Sun Chao have somehow discovered a refreshingly new way to narrate the past. The five generations of relatives, friends, lovers, business partners, and everything between depicted here together form a chorus of voices that breathe music into a side of Chinese history I never knew about. Full of glamour and suffering, artistic flourish and squandered dreams, Remembering Shanghai is a story we'll all nevertheless relate to because of its deep sense of humanity and self-discovery, reflected in the way this mother-daughter pair so seamlessly interwove their shared, yet separate, stories of home.
June 24, 2023
estoy enamorada
July 24, 2018
Through no fault of its own, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels wasn’t my cup of tea. I liked it best when Isabel recounted her memories. Unfortunately for me, Isabel’s narrative was often interrupted by general information pages and information of her ancestral history. I say “interrupted” because it took me out of the memoir experience.
This book is best for people who know close to nothing about Chinese culture. Someone who is familiar with the culture may be distracted by the page-length explanations of what a qipao is, Chinese ancestral names, binding feet, naming based on birth order, etc. As I’m somewhere in the middle of those, the explanations gave new information at best and were a distraction at worst.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was hoping I would. Maybe I will return to it sometime in the future to find that I can appreciate it more with age.
This book is best for people who know close to nothing about Chinese culture. Someone who is familiar with the culture may be distracted by the page-length explanations of what a qipao is, Chinese ancestral names, binding feet, naming based on birth order, etc. As I’m somewhere in the middle of those, the explanations gave new information at best and were a distraction at worst.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was hoping I would. Maybe I will return to it sometime in the future to find that I can appreciate it more with age.
June 13, 2021
Wow - I learned so much about old Shanghai! Great way to learn more about the history of China during the 20th Century told through the lens of a family who has MANY unbelievable stories to share. We listened to the audiobook version and I want to give kudos to the narrator who had about 100 different voices for different characters.
May 31, 2021
Remembering Shanghai by Claire Chao and Isabel Sun Chao
Length: 308 Pages
Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
"Before Shanghai become Shanghai, it was a marshy fishing village, where Asia's longest river met the world's largest ocean. The city was born of vice -- the offspring of unbridled commerce and colonialism, a treaty port where the illegal importation of opium shortened the lives of thousands and where Westerners were granted immunity to Chinese law."
Trigger Warnings in this book for Violence and Gore
My last book for the Asian Readathon! I have to admit I'm usually not a fan of anything Nonfiction, and I don't believe I've read, or at least, completed, a memoir. However, I am so pleased that this readathon prompted me to read something nonfiction, because otherwise I might not have had the chance to read this amazing book.
Remembering Shanghai is not only a love-letter to "Old Shanghai", but an unflinching portrait of the Sun family, told by one of the daughters, Isabel, and her own daughter, Claire. Isabel is brought up during the glamorous 1930's and 40's of Shanghai, where she is cushioned from the outside world by her family's wealth and status. Here, we meet her fashionable and flighty Muma, her patient and art-loving Diedie, the strict Buddhist Qinpo, and her siblings.
Isabel's memories, both the good, the bad, and the incriminating, are told vividly, and with a sort of humor that only time can create. Besides her immediate family, we are told of her great-grandfather's rise to status and money, his sons' maltreatment of him, all in the name of money (his youngest son, No. 7 being Isabel's grandfather), and her godfather's run in with a Shanghainese gang. All of these early memories are tinged with a bit of sadness, as with the rise of Communism, the Sun family is irrevocably torn apart. Isabel, her daughter, and many of their family members, have lived such fascinating lives and despite all the hardship, from lives stolen from them to the oppression and fear of living under Mao's Regime and the Japanese occupation, retain such infectious optimism.
Along the way, we learn interesting little snippets about Chinese life, from playing mahjong, to the difference between qipao and cheongsam, and even about the popular movies and actresses, like Nancy Chen who played Hua Mulan in 1939's Mulan Joins the Army. The pages are filled with glorious little illustrations, and photos of the family and Shanghai, which I really enjoyed seeing.
It is an essential read, not just for those interested in China, but for those interested in the spirit and strength of humanity, and the ways we can learn from history to better our futures.
For more reviews visit my blog!
Length: 308 Pages
Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
"Before Shanghai become Shanghai, it was a marshy fishing village, where Asia's longest river met the world's largest ocean. The city was born of vice -- the offspring of unbridled commerce and colonialism, a treaty port where the illegal importation of opium shortened the lives of thousands and where Westerners were granted immunity to Chinese law."
Trigger Warnings in this book for Violence and Gore
My last book for the Asian Readathon! I have to admit I'm usually not a fan of anything Nonfiction, and I don't believe I've read, or at least, completed, a memoir. However, I am so pleased that this readathon prompted me to read something nonfiction, because otherwise I might not have had the chance to read this amazing book.
Remembering Shanghai is not only a love-letter to "Old Shanghai", but an unflinching portrait of the Sun family, told by one of the daughters, Isabel, and her own daughter, Claire. Isabel is brought up during the glamorous 1930's and 40's of Shanghai, where she is cushioned from the outside world by her family's wealth and status. Here, we meet her fashionable and flighty Muma, her patient and art-loving Diedie, the strict Buddhist Qinpo, and her siblings.
Isabel's memories, both the good, the bad, and the incriminating, are told vividly, and with a sort of humor that only time can create. Besides her immediate family, we are told of her great-grandfather's rise to status and money, his sons' maltreatment of him, all in the name of money (his youngest son, No. 7 being Isabel's grandfather), and her godfather's run in with a Shanghainese gang. All of these early memories are tinged with a bit of sadness, as with the rise of Communism, the Sun family is irrevocably torn apart. Isabel, her daughter, and many of their family members, have lived such fascinating lives and despite all the hardship, from lives stolen from them to the oppression and fear of living under Mao's Regime and the Japanese occupation, retain such infectious optimism.
Along the way, we learn interesting little snippets about Chinese life, from playing mahjong, to the difference between qipao and cheongsam, and even about the popular movies and actresses, like Nancy Chen who played Hua Mulan in 1939's Mulan Joins the Army. The pages are filled with glorious little illustrations, and photos of the family and Shanghai, which I really enjoyed seeing.
It is an essential read, not just for those interested in China, but for those interested in the spirit and strength of humanity, and the ways we can learn from history to better our futures.
For more reviews visit my blog!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2021
Isabel Sun Chao and her daughter Claire Chao collaborated on this beautiful book. At the center of the story are Isabel’s memories of her life, a life that encompasses the dramatic history of China throughout the stormy Twentieth Century. It’s also the story of her family—sisters and brothers, parents, grandparents and great-grand parents, and their concubines, godfathers, schoolmates and servants—people we come to know and care about.
Isabel was born into a wealthy Shanghai family in 1931. As the subtitle tells us, Shanghai in the thirties and forties was a city of Socialites, Scholars, and Scoundrels, all of them represented in Isabel’s immediate family. Isabel has vivid memories of her childhood and of her house, family, and school.
With the help of her daughter, Claire’s research and writing, Isabel does a fantastic job of telling the early part of her story from a child’s point of view. As a privileged child with a child’s concerns and interests, she and her peers aren’t concerned when the Japanese invade China in 1937 and then occupy Shanghai, taking full control on the same day they bomb Pearl Harbor in 1941. The children are too young to imagine that these events will change their lives. It’s a special experience to read about war from a child’s viewpoint. Isabel’s attitude reminds me of Jim in Empire of the Sun, a young British boy living in Shanghai’s International Settlement during the Japanese occupation who was crazy about planes and Japanese aviators.
For Isabel, as it turned out, it wasn’t the Japanese but the Communists who disrupted her life. In 1949, when she was eighteen, her father sent her to Hong Kong. From then on, her path and that of her mother and eventually one sister diverged from that of her father, brother, and two younger sisters. For decades, during Mao’s life and especially during the Cultural Revolution, she had no contact with family members who stayed in China. By then, I felt I knew them all, so I was happy finally to hear what happened to them. Isabel’s father, a proper Confucian gentleman, scholar, and art collector was one of my favorite characters. How sad to hear that he ran afoul of the Red Guards and died as a result!
Remembering Shanghai is filled with fascinating stories—father’s kidnapping, the brazen theft of great-grandfather’s wealth by his two sons, and the theft of Father’s seal by Isabel’s classmate who was subsequently forgiven and taken under Father’s wing. Probably most dramatic of all was the story of Mother’s escape by foot to Chongqing. Her traveling companion sold her to a landowner, and she narrowly escaped that fate when her brother-in-law sent soldiers to save her at the last minute.
Isabel was born into a wealthy Shanghai family in 1931. As the subtitle tells us, Shanghai in the thirties and forties was a city of Socialites, Scholars, and Scoundrels, all of them represented in Isabel’s immediate family. Isabel has vivid memories of her childhood and of her house, family, and school.
With the help of her daughter, Claire’s research and writing, Isabel does a fantastic job of telling the early part of her story from a child’s point of view. As a privileged child with a child’s concerns and interests, she and her peers aren’t concerned when the Japanese invade China in 1937 and then occupy Shanghai, taking full control on the same day they bomb Pearl Harbor in 1941. The children are too young to imagine that these events will change their lives. It’s a special experience to read about war from a child’s viewpoint. Isabel’s attitude reminds me of Jim in Empire of the Sun, a young British boy living in Shanghai’s International Settlement during the Japanese occupation who was crazy about planes and Japanese aviators.
For Isabel, as it turned out, it wasn’t the Japanese but the Communists who disrupted her life. In 1949, when she was eighteen, her father sent her to Hong Kong. From then on, her path and that of her mother and eventually one sister diverged from that of her father, brother, and two younger sisters. For decades, during Mao’s life and especially during the Cultural Revolution, she had no contact with family members who stayed in China. By then, I felt I knew them all, so I was happy finally to hear what happened to them. Isabel’s father, a proper Confucian gentleman, scholar, and art collector was one of my favorite characters. How sad to hear that he ran afoul of the Red Guards and died as a result!
Remembering Shanghai is filled with fascinating stories—father’s kidnapping, the brazen theft of great-grandfather’s wealth by his two sons, and the theft of Father’s seal by Isabel’s classmate who was subsequently forgiven and taken under Father’s wing. Probably most dramatic of all was the story of Mother’s escape by foot to Chongqing. Her traveling companion sold her to a landowner, and she narrowly escaped that fate when her brother-in-law sent soldiers to save her at the last minute.
March 18, 2022
[4.5/5 stars]
REMEMBERING SHANGHAI is a memoir that centers around Isabel and Claire Chao. Growing up during 1930s and 40s Shanghai, Isabel had a glamorous and privileged life. When Mao comes to power, eighteen-year-old Isabel journeys to Hong Kong, not realizing that she would only returns to Shanghai fifty years later with her daughter, Claire.
From Japanese occupation, civil war and Communist revolution, this book spans five generations of Chao family. China has been recovering from the Opium wars - there's the lavish lifestyle of Chao family counterbalancing the devastated China, heavily impacted by Western imperialism. Influenced by the remnants of Qing dynasty, it was interesting to have a deeper look at foot binding, cultural process that happened in the name of feminine beauty, fortunately abandoned later.
Then we are introduced by Shanghai, 1930 - a period of glory and poverty; just preparing the people for troubled times of Cultural revolution, filled with violence and uncertainties.
Isabel and Claire's discovery of family past is richly illustrated with personal photographs and family tree. The great grandfather's story read just like Chinese drama, dramatic and almost being unbelievable. I found the passages about qipao, Chinese art, origin of Chinese characters and naming system of family's relatives complex and I was fully engrossed. Concubines and affairs were fairly common in the scenario. The family brokenness left me sad, feeling heightened by identity and loss covered in this memoir. I thought that this book offered an extensive but far from boring lessons about Chinese history and this switching with family's memories made it a propulsive read.
Ultimately, REMEMBERING SHANGHAI made me appreciate cultural legacy even more.
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Andrea Burnett - in exchange for an honest review ]
REMEMBERING SHANGHAI is a memoir that centers around Isabel and Claire Chao. Growing up during 1930s and 40s Shanghai, Isabel had a glamorous and privileged life. When Mao comes to power, eighteen-year-old Isabel journeys to Hong Kong, not realizing that she would only returns to Shanghai fifty years later with her daughter, Claire.
From Japanese occupation, civil war and Communist revolution, this book spans five generations of Chao family. China has been recovering from the Opium wars - there's the lavish lifestyle of Chao family counterbalancing the devastated China, heavily impacted by Western imperialism. Influenced by the remnants of Qing dynasty, it was interesting to have a deeper look at foot binding, cultural process that happened in the name of feminine beauty, fortunately abandoned later.
Then we are introduced by Shanghai, 1930 - a period of glory and poverty; just preparing the people for troubled times of Cultural revolution, filled with violence and uncertainties.
Isabel and Claire's discovery of family past is richly illustrated with personal photographs and family tree. The great grandfather's story read just like Chinese drama, dramatic and almost being unbelievable. I found the passages about qipao, Chinese art, origin of Chinese characters and naming system of family's relatives complex and I was fully engrossed. Concubines and affairs were fairly common in the scenario. The family brokenness left me sad, feeling heightened by identity and loss covered in this memoir. I thought that this book offered an extensive but far from boring lessons about Chinese history and this switching with family's memories made it a propulsive read.
Ultimately, REMEMBERING SHANGHAI made me appreciate cultural legacy even more.
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Andrea Burnett - in exchange for an honest review ]
April 24, 2023
This memoir is told primarily from Isabel's point of view but it was nice when here daughter chimed in with some background. Having left Shanghai just before the borders were closed, Isabel's return visits are very poignant. It ended with such a beautiful connection to her father.
arcs
May 19, 2021Thanks to NetGalley and Girl Friday Books for providing an ARC!
August 1, 2023
this book was so extremely beautiful, both in how it was written and in the illustrations. i enjoyed this book. my only critique is that it was a little long. 4.5 stars!!
September 5, 2023
Stunning story
May 30, 2025
A must read!!
December 19, 2025
I would have rated this book 5.5/5 if I could. It’s a fascinating peek into Shanghai and Hongkong’s history through the eyes of five generations of a family. Brilliantly illustrated , meticulously researched and engaging story telling. History narrated right from Qing dynasty days to Mao’s genocide - oops cultural revolution through interesting family stories from kidnappings, fortunes gained and lost. Shanghai inn1930s from international settlement days show a very different china from the communist days.
December 22, 2021
I had been wanting to read this for a long time and found it to be okay, but not ultimately page turning.
It is narrated by a mother and daughter team, covering mainly the times in Shanghai in the 30s/40s in a high classed family. It shows how the cultural Revolution of Mao changed the dynamics of this family, separating them, yet keeping the daughters in a tight connection to one another.
I enjoyed the story.
It is narrated by a mother and daughter team, covering mainly the times in Shanghai in the 30s/40s in a high classed family. It shows how the cultural Revolution of Mao changed the dynamics of this family, separating them, yet keeping the daughters in a tight connection to one another.
I enjoyed the story.
July 9, 2020
Summary:
Claire and Isabel (daughter and mother) traveled to Shanghai, China to visit the original family home in 2008. Afterwards, Claire began to write about the four generations of her mother’s family. Included is historical information about the culture and history during each generation. The main part of the book is Isabel’s life.
My Thoughts:
When the mother first saw the family home after an absence of sixty years, I was awestruck at her humility and ability to remain calm despite an awkwardness of how the home now looks. At one time, the family home was beautiful and elegant. A single family dwelled in it. Now, several people live in apartments, inside the home, that have been selected by the government. People look down on others who have wealth. It is looked upon as low quality in character. This is the society and culture of communist China. This is eye-opening to me. People judge before really knowing the people and their individual lives. And, often people judge because it’s what they’ve been taught.
I have a friend who is from South Korea. She made a comment to me that Americans are lazy. Some are and some are not. Further, some Koreans are probably lazy. This is a character trait and not respective of nation. Anyone who calls my husband lazy should work his job for a day. I dare you. He works for a large city on the sewer cleaning equipment. Ha! Yes, it is a crappy job. I’m being sarcastic. Back to the book!
I love women and literature stories. I love mother and daughter stories. I love stories with the setting in China. This book had a triple appeal for me. I ordered it for my birthday in February. I enjoyed reading every page.
Additional reasons why I love this book:
~Beautiful illustrations. I love art. The art included in the book is visually stunning. Definitely aesthetic quality.
~The interesting stories from the great-grandparents generation.
~Education about Chinese writing, name placement, clothing, and religion.
~The Chinese Cultural Revolution and the consequences on Isabel’s siblings and father.
Claire and Isabel (daughter and mother) traveled to Shanghai, China to visit the original family home in 2008. Afterwards, Claire began to write about the four generations of her mother’s family. Included is historical information about the culture and history during each generation. The main part of the book is Isabel’s life.
My Thoughts:
When the mother first saw the family home after an absence of sixty years, I was awestruck at her humility and ability to remain calm despite an awkwardness of how the home now looks. At one time, the family home was beautiful and elegant. A single family dwelled in it. Now, several people live in apartments, inside the home, that have been selected by the government. People look down on others who have wealth. It is looked upon as low quality in character. This is the society and culture of communist China. This is eye-opening to me. People judge before really knowing the people and their individual lives. And, often people judge because it’s what they’ve been taught.
I have a friend who is from South Korea. She made a comment to me that Americans are lazy. Some are and some are not. Further, some Koreans are probably lazy. This is a character trait and not respective of nation. Anyone who calls my husband lazy should work his job for a day. I dare you. He works for a large city on the sewer cleaning equipment. Ha! Yes, it is a crappy job. I’m being sarcastic. Back to the book!
I love women and literature stories. I love mother and daughter stories. I love stories with the setting in China. This book had a triple appeal for me. I ordered it for my birthday in February. I enjoyed reading every page.
Additional reasons why I love this book:
~Beautiful illustrations. I love art. The art included in the book is visually stunning. Definitely aesthetic quality.
~The interesting stories from the great-grandparents generation.
~Education about Chinese writing, name placement, clothing, and religion.
~The Chinese Cultural Revolution and the consequences on Isabel’s siblings and father.
October 19, 2025
One of those books that must be appreciated in hard copy rather than Kindle.
What I loved: the photographs and drawings, the backdrop of Shanghai's jazz age without being a boring history lesson, the fact that this memoir was the real life story of Isabel Sun Chao and that also, not too long ago, was fascinating, sorrowful and eye opening all at the same time - the incidents of bound feet, concubines, the way fortunes were made and lost within 3 generations - were just some of the stories that were very interesting.
What I could have wished for more: I do realise this is a memoir but oftentimes, the story narrative was not very fluid. It seemed like a collection of essays put together, so is not always engrossing. While this is a memoir about remembering Shanghai, I was wishing she had talked more about her experiences in Hong Kong where I live, but still, it was a fascinating glimpse into the Hong Kong of yesterday and for me, once again the realisation of the amazing ability of the city to innovate and change with the realities of the day rather than to smother itself in its past glory.
What I loved: the photographs and drawings, the backdrop of Shanghai's jazz age without being a boring history lesson, the fact that this memoir was the real life story of Isabel Sun Chao and that also, not too long ago, was fascinating, sorrowful and eye opening all at the same time - the incidents of bound feet, concubines, the way fortunes were made and lost within 3 generations - were just some of the stories that were very interesting.
What I could have wished for more: I do realise this is a memoir but oftentimes, the story narrative was not very fluid. It seemed like a collection of essays put together, so is not always engrossing. While this is a memoir about remembering Shanghai, I was wishing she had talked more about her experiences in Hong Kong where I live, but still, it was a fascinating glimpse into the Hong Kong of yesterday and for me, once again the realisation of the amazing ability of the city to innovate and change with the realities of the day rather than to smother itself in its past glory.
July 11, 2018
What a great read this is! "Remembering Shanghai" is the stuff of fiction that happens tells the multilayered, complex, story of Shanghai in an unputdown-able way. Authors Claire Chao and Isabel Sun Chao have a great story to tell - and are terrific storytellers.
This a classic old Shanghai tale, a story of the rise and fall of a great family, set against the dramatic, turbulent backdrop of 20th century China. Oh, but you can't make up these characters! The traitorous sons and their breathtaking double-cross, the gentle, Confucian scholar and the socialite mother, and the waves upon waves of history that consume them, even as they're fox-trotting at the dance halls.
The story stands out, too, for its unflinching look at post-revolution Shanghai, and what happened to the families who were divided; and - rare in the old Shanghai memoir genre - is a story by and about Shanghainese.
This a classic old Shanghai tale, a story of the rise and fall of a great family, set against the dramatic, turbulent backdrop of 20th century China. Oh, but you can't make up these characters! The traitorous sons and their breathtaking double-cross, the gentle, Confucian scholar and the socialite mother, and the waves upon waves of history that consume them, even as they're fox-trotting at the dance halls.
The story stands out, too, for its unflinching look at post-revolution Shanghai, and what happened to the families who were divided; and - rare in the old Shanghai memoir genre - is a story by and about Shanghainese.
October 29, 2018
Remembering Shangai sets the story of the author's family--as told through the author and her mother--against the dramatic backdrop of war and political upheaval in China. As the subtitle promises, Chao's family history is full of larger than life characters, from refined and moneyed literati collecting art to scoundrels who think nothing of squandering the family's fortune or reputation and socialites with in-house dressmakers. Shanghai is a cosmopolitan hub for international influence and culture. As China moves from feudalism to communism, Chao's family plummets from riches to rags and is disbursed from Shanghai to Hong Kong. A story of loss and resilience as well as love and memory, this is a beautifully told mother/daughter story and a beautiful book full of old photos and gorgeous illustrations. Readers unfamiliar with Chinese culture will especially appreciate the thoughtful sidebars that present information about Chinese beliefs and traditions.
February 19, 2024
A very well written and narrated work. Being an old school overseas Chinese myself (6th generation from my Mother side of the family) living in South East Asia, I can somehow connect and relate to the Author’s story albeit without the tumultuous period of China during the first 3 quarters of the 20th century with the demise of the Qing Dynasty, the Warlord Era, the rise of the Nationalists, Sino-Japanese War merging into WWII and finally the takeover by the Communists - all happening between 1911-1949.
Meanwhile, Shanghai was indeed the Paris of the East as many of its iconic names and razzmatazz were exported to all parts of South East Asia with names like Cathay, Paramount, Lido, Dynasty; tailors and mahjong craftsmen came as emigres. The global Chinese community remembered Shanghai with its unique history as the focal point of China’s interaction with the West for 100 years as the greatest metropolis and will remain so in all of China.
Meanwhile, Shanghai was indeed the Paris of the East as many of its iconic names and razzmatazz were exported to all parts of South East Asia with names like Cathay, Paramount, Lido, Dynasty; tailors and mahjong craftsmen came as emigres. The global Chinese community remembered Shanghai with its unique history as the focal point of China’s interaction with the West for 100 years as the greatest metropolis and will remain so in all of China.
April 30, 2018
This book was easy to read and I learned a lot about old Shanghai. I can definitely recommend!
September 2, 2021
Many classical works have told the rise and fall of China’s great dynasties. There’s this famous concept called the Mandate of Heaven in which during turbulent times this mandate moved from one dynasty to the other. The Shanghai of the 1930s where Isabel Sun Chao grew up was such a place, with areas carved by the foreigners in the International Settlement and the French Concession where foreigners and several Chinese misfits could lead lives immune from the Chinese law. Yet it was also the foreigners who turned Shanghai into a vibrant city, with its well-known nickname as the Pearl of the East.
The depiction of the 1930s Shanghai in this memoir kinda reminds me of Lisa See’s novel Shanghai Girls which also uses Shanghai during the 1930s as its setting. Unlike See’s novel though, this memoir misses a great detail of information about several historical events such as the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Battle of Shanghai but rather puts the emphasis more on the chronicle of the Sun family from Taiyeye (born in 1842) who brought the money into the family until his great-granddaughter Isabel grew up in the 1930s Shanghai. It compiles the four-generation history of the Sun family with frequent explanations by Claire Chao who provides the remarks on art and historical period, whereas Isabel focuses more on the personal history.
As the title suggests, this book is indeed a memoir of socialites, scholars, and scoundrels. The Sun family in this story built their fortunes in the second half of the nineteenth century, and we could say that Isabel grew up in a privileged household with her English-language schooling at McTyeire School and her family connection with several people we could only know from history books. However, her chronicle does not solely focus on family history alone, since there are many contexts provided to understand the Shanghainese culture, food, and tradition. There is even a lengthy explanation on why qipao is widely known as cheongsam in Hong Kong and its position as a feminist statement by women who wore them in the 1920s. Simply put, the story is not boring.
Art is also an important aspect of the story, since Isabel’s father, Diedie collected many Chinese classical artworks and admired them until they were confiscated by the Red Guards during the infamous Cultural Revolution. The illustrations provided in this book also help to understand the context, like for example some real photos of Shanghai during each part of the story as well as illustrations of classical artworks mentioned by the authors. It also helps that Claire Chao studied art and archaeology at Princeton with a thesis on the artworks of Wang Hui, something which gives a rich explanation to the story.
As with every memoir, there is an intention behind the book. It’s a record of the 1930s Shanghai which no longer exists, of turbulent times that saw the Japanese occupation and the Communist takeover of Mainland China that changed the landscape of Shanghai into a city that is now famous with its modern architecture and has finally returned to its position as the Pearl of the East. Both the book and the audiobook are equally good, they are complementaries to each other. I listened to the Spotify audiobook narrated by Rachel Yong as well while reading the book, and it bridges parts that are written by Isabel and parts written by Claire with nice divides. Some Chinese words, either they are in Mandarin or Shanghainese are sometimes mispronounced in the audiobook, however, it does not disturb the overall reading experience. If you have read any of Lisa See’s books, you will enjoy this memoir.
The depiction of the 1930s Shanghai in this memoir kinda reminds me of Lisa See’s novel Shanghai Girls which also uses Shanghai during the 1930s as its setting. Unlike See’s novel though, this memoir misses a great detail of information about several historical events such as the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Battle of Shanghai but rather puts the emphasis more on the chronicle of the Sun family from Taiyeye (born in 1842) who brought the money into the family until his great-granddaughter Isabel grew up in the 1930s Shanghai. It compiles the four-generation history of the Sun family with frequent explanations by Claire Chao who provides the remarks on art and historical period, whereas Isabel focuses more on the personal history.
As the title suggests, this book is indeed a memoir of socialites, scholars, and scoundrels. The Sun family in this story built their fortunes in the second half of the nineteenth century, and we could say that Isabel grew up in a privileged household with her English-language schooling at McTyeire School and her family connection with several people we could only know from history books. However, her chronicle does not solely focus on family history alone, since there are many contexts provided to understand the Shanghainese culture, food, and tradition. There is even a lengthy explanation on why qipao is widely known as cheongsam in Hong Kong and its position as a feminist statement by women who wore them in the 1920s. Simply put, the story is not boring.
Art is also an important aspect of the story, since Isabel’s father, Diedie collected many Chinese classical artworks and admired them until they were confiscated by the Red Guards during the infamous Cultural Revolution. The illustrations provided in this book also help to understand the context, like for example some real photos of Shanghai during each part of the story as well as illustrations of classical artworks mentioned by the authors. It also helps that Claire Chao studied art and archaeology at Princeton with a thesis on the artworks of Wang Hui, something which gives a rich explanation to the story.
As with every memoir, there is an intention behind the book. It’s a record of the 1930s Shanghai which no longer exists, of turbulent times that saw the Japanese occupation and the Communist takeover of Mainland China that changed the landscape of Shanghai into a city that is now famous with its modern architecture and has finally returned to its position as the Pearl of the East. Both the book and the audiobook are equally good, they are complementaries to each other. I listened to the Spotify audiobook narrated by Rachel Yong as well while reading the book, and it bridges parts that are written by Isabel and parts written by Claire with nice divides. Some Chinese words, either they are in Mandarin or Shanghainese are sometimes mispronounced in the audiobook, however, it does not disturb the overall reading experience. If you have read any of Lisa See’s books, you will enjoy this memoir.
February 7, 2019
Reviewed by Kimberly Luyckx for Reader Views (2/19)
“Remembering Shanghai” is a collection of stories written by mother and daughter, Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao. It describes the time leading up to the Communist take-over of China and its subsequent years. Based on Isabel’s young life growing up in the coastal city of Shanghai, the compilation is both personal and historic. While the country’s rebellious changes swirled all around her, the wealth of Isabel’s family and the fortified enclave in which she lived served as a cocoon. The surrounding Shanghai mini metropolis was filled with European and American influences. These manifested in the permissive, western style of Isabel’s mother yet contrasted greatly to the traditional and more austere ways of her Buddhist grandmother.
This book presents a time of turmoil with foreign occupation and warring parties changing the culture of China and the city of Shanghai. The volume has many italicized paragraphs that contain Claire Chao’s commentary on Isabel’s experiences. Her research adds to the depth of the memoir by providing important political and historical background. And yet, it remains the personal account of a family who stayed connected to its roots despite the relocation and detachment of its branches.
There is quite a bit of drama in this book that reminds me of a riveting television series like “Upstairs Downstairs.” Its subtitle, “A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels,” is justified with thrilling tales involving prominent celebrities and academics, high-ranking government officials and mobsters whose lives and behaviors directly affect the Sun family. At the same time, it highlights the political turmoil that significantly affected the country and Shanghai as a whole.
Representing the perfect combination of historical fiction, memoir and novel, this publication is informative yet personal and filled with wonderful descriptions of cultural dress, attitude, food, art and architecture. It is helpful to have the family tree diagram as a reference. In my opinion, this is the best kind of historical account - one in which the writers have directly experienced - with just the necessary personal photos to complement the piece. Adding great flavor to Isabel’s narrative are the cultural sidebars that present topics such as foot-binding, Chinese letter writing, foreign influences, birth order importance and the art of mahjong to name a few.
I admire the easy transition between the past and current time periods. The seamless segue from Isabel’s memory to the present-day makes for a stimulating read. It demonstrates a perspective and adds depth to the stories. I love the detailed comparisons that point to the degradation of Shanghai’s age of opulence. When Isabel revisits her childhood home, her description confirms the prestige of the building despite the years of deterioration and exploitation incurred.
“Remembering Shanghai” is a book whose composition has been carefully prepared - from its elegant prose to its intricate illustrations and attractive photography. It presents itself like a museum artifact. It is an extraordinary effort to present a significant piece of Chinese history that also tells a captivating personal tale. Its authors, Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao, devoted a great deal of time to hone their masterpiece and it shows.
“Remembering Shanghai” is a collection of stories written by mother and daughter, Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao. It describes the time leading up to the Communist take-over of China and its subsequent years. Based on Isabel’s young life growing up in the coastal city of Shanghai, the compilation is both personal and historic. While the country’s rebellious changes swirled all around her, the wealth of Isabel’s family and the fortified enclave in which she lived served as a cocoon. The surrounding Shanghai mini metropolis was filled with European and American influences. These manifested in the permissive, western style of Isabel’s mother yet contrasted greatly to the traditional and more austere ways of her Buddhist grandmother.
This book presents a time of turmoil with foreign occupation and warring parties changing the culture of China and the city of Shanghai. The volume has many italicized paragraphs that contain Claire Chao’s commentary on Isabel’s experiences. Her research adds to the depth of the memoir by providing important political and historical background. And yet, it remains the personal account of a family who stayed connected to its roots despite the relocation and detachment of its branches.
There is quite a bit of drama in this book that reminds me of a riveting television series like “Upstairs Downstairs.” Its subtitle, “A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels,” is justified with thrilling tales involving prominent celebrities and academics, high-ranking government officials and mobsters whose lives and behaviors directly affect the Sun family. At the same time, it highlights the political turmoil that significantly affected the country and Shanghai as a whole.
Representing the perfect combination of historical fiction, memoir and novel, this publication is informative yet personal and filled with wonderful descriptions of cultural dress, attitude, food, art and architecture. It is helpful to have the family tree diagram as a reference. In my opinion, this is the best kind of historical account - one in which the writers have directly experienced - with just the necessary personal photos to complement the piece. Adding great flavor to Isabel’s narrative are the cultural sidebars that present topics such as foot-binding, Chinese letter writing, foreign influences, birth order importance and the art of mahjong to name a few.
I admire the easy transition between the past and current time periods. The seamless segue from Isabel’s memory to the present-day makes for a stimulating read. It demonstrates a perspective and adds depth to the stories. I love the detailed comparisons that point to the degradation of Shanghai’s age of opulence. When Isabel revisits her childhood home, her description confirms the prestige of the building despite the years of deterioration and exploitation incurred.
“Remembering Shanghai” is a book whose composition has been carefully prepared - from its elegant prose to its intricate illustrations and attractive photography. It presents itself like a museum artifact. It is an extraordinary effort to present a significant piece of Chinese history that also tells a captivating personal tale. Its authors, Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao, devoted a great deal of time to hone their masterpiece and it shows.
May 11, 2022
~Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by
Claire Chao & Isabel Sun Chao | Audio
~Narrated by: Rachel Yong, Claire Chao, Isabel Sun Chao
“Ours is a family of socialites, scholars and scoundrels.”
Synopsis: A high position bestowed by China's empress dowager grants power and wealth to the Sun family. For Isabel, growing up in glamorous 1930s and '40s Shanghai, it is a life of utmost privilege. But while her scholar father and fashionable mother shelter her from civil war and Japanese occupation, they cannot shield the family forever.
When Mao comes to power, eighteen-year-old Isabel journeys to Hong Kong, not realizing that she will make it her home--and that she will never see her father again. Meanwhile, the family she has left behind struggles to survive, only to have their world shattered by the Cultural Revolution. Isabel returns to Shanghai fifty years later with her daughter, Claire, to confront their family's past--one they discover is filled with love and betrayal, kidnappers and concubines, glittering pleasure palaces and underworld crime bosses.
Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, Remembering Shanghai follows five generations from a hardscrabble village to vibrant Shanghai to the bright lights of Hong Kong. By turns harrowing and heartwarming, this vivid memoir explores identity, loss and the unpredictable nature of life against the epic backdrop of a nation and a people in turmoil.
SynopsiSexxy: This one hit on all emotional cylinders. I don’t think I can do it any justice with a review. Read it. It’s an eye opening look into how women were treated, the rise of communism and extremism. It is eerily parallel to what is happening now with women’s rights being dismantled. Instead of extremists with a ‘little red book’, it’s red hats today. Chairman Mao’s face on flags, idolized; teachers, intellectuals & scientists persecuted and threatened. Indoctrination and radicalization of the youth.
Very scary.
Fave quotes:
“She did not utter a word, but her fury was deafening.”
“It was an era where a man of means could own any number of young women as easily as he could posses a collection of foreign cars. And he could also easily gift one of those women to a friend, or swap her for a woman belonging to someone else.”
“We stopped to watch the sun’s pastel rays fade into a deep sapphire sky. The glow of the harvest moon and ten thousand twinkling lights turned the river into liquid silver.”
“For a few blocks Michael let me ride seated in front of him on the Harley, while he kept hold of the handlebars and steered. We zipped along the waterfront beyond the street lamps where the cone of our headlight illuminated only a few feet into the darkness. I never experienced this combination of exhilaration and uncertainty in the same moment. Atop of that motorbike, I discovered a part of myself that had been hidden until now. The whir of the engine and the wind at my back seemed to be hurtling me into the unknown, and I had nothing to fear.”
“My intention was to go back to Shanghai to find my memories. In the end, it was my memories that found me.”
JSR: 📚📚📚📚📚
JSAR: 📚📚📚📚📚
Claire Chao & Isabel Sun Chao | Audio
~Narrated by: Rachel Yong, Claire Chao, Isabel Sun Chao
“Ours is a family of socialites, scholars and scoundrels.”
Synopsis: A high position bestowed by China's empress dowager grants power and wealth to the Sun family. For Isabel, growing up in glamorous 1930s and '40s Shanghai, it is a life of utmost privilege. But while her scholar father and fashionable mother shelter her from civil war and Japanese occupation, they cannot shield the family forever.
When Mao comes to power, eighteen-year-old Isabel journeys to Hong Kong, not realizing that she will make it her home--and that she will never see her father again. Meanwhile, the family she has left behind struggles to survive, only to have their world shattered by the Cultural Revolution. Isabel returns to Shanghai fifty years later with her daughter, Claire, to confront their family's past--one they discover is filled with love and betrayal, kidnappers and concubines, glittering pleasure palaces and underworld crime bosses.
Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, Remembering Shanghai follows five generations from a hardscrabble village to vibrant Shanghai to the bright lights of Hong Kong. By turns harrowing and heartwarming, this vivid memoir explores identity, loss and the unpredictable nature of life against the epic backdrop of a nation and a people in turmoil.
SynopsiSexxy: This one hit on all emotional cylinders. I don’t think I can do it any justice with a review. Read it. It’s an eye opening look into how women were treated, the rise of communism and extremism. It is eerily parallel to what is happening now with women’s rights being dismantled. Instead of extremists with a ‘little red book’, it’s red hats today. Chairman Mao’s face on flags, idolized; teachers, intellectuals & scientists persecuted and threatened. Indoctrination and radicalization of the youth.
Very scary.
Fave quotes:
“She did not utter a word, but her fury was deafening.”
“It was an era where a man of means could own any number of young women as easily as he could posses a collection of foreign cars. And he could also easily gift one of those women to a friend, or swap her for a woman belonging to someone else.”
“We stopped to watch the sun’s pastel rays fade into a deep sapphire sky. The glow of the harvest moon and ten thousand twinkling lights turned the river into liquid silver.”
“For a few blocks Michael let me ride seated in front of him on the Harley, while he kept hold of the handlebars and steered. We zipped along the waterfront beyond the street lamps where the cone of our headlight illuminated only a few feet into the darkness. I never experienced this combination of exhilaration and uncertainty in the same moment. Atop of that motorbike, I discovered a part of myself that had been hidden until now. The whir of the engine and the wind at my back seemed to be hurtling me into the unknown, and I had nothing to fear.”
“My intention was to go back to Shanghai to find my memories. In the end, it was my memories that found me.”
JSR: 📚📚📚📚📚
JSAR: 📚📚📚📚📚
October 27, 2021
THis is a lyrical book that traces life in the tumultuous city of SHanghai, through 5 generations of Isabel Sun CHao's family. It takes in the ending of the Qing dynasty, the Japanese occupation, the rise of the Communist government till modern day. Shanghai is an incredibly interesting city, and I love the effort taken over the gorgeous illustrations and photos in the book. I didn't know that Shanghai was divided into areas governed practically as independent little colonies by the British, French and the Americans, with the Chinese citizens requiring separate licenses and permits to enter, and the complete relaxation of laws and rules, and even the requirement of passports and visas. This, combined with an increasingly powerful local mafia, weak local governments and warlords controlling their own fiefdoms, made Shanghai a synonym for decadence and intrigue. As the writers so evocatively put it, practically every activity one undertook in Shanghai led directly or indirectly to filling the coffers of the mafia. ( For more on this, I can't recommend this article enough https://www.damninteresting.com/the-k...) Isabel Sun Chao was born into a life of privilege into a turbulent Shanghai, and while her early life was insulated from the chaos in the city, it eventually affected her as well. SHe left SHanghai for Hong Kong when she was 18, and didn't return till the 70s. Through her other siblings' lives, who were still in China, she chronicles the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the devastating impact on their lives. I loved the specificity of the book, and all the ways the grand sweep of history affected this one particular family, you don't get that very often. ANd unlike fictional epic sagas, the sheer lived experience of this lends it an immediacy and a poignancy that the others lack. While the narrator arguably led a comfortable life in Hong KOng, I can't begin to imagine the mental trauma of not knowing what has happened to your beloved father, and only being able to contact him intermittently through letters.
The book alternates chapters of memoir with chapters on aspects of Chinese culture that are absolutely delightful-on Chinese art collectors, mahjong, the Chinese language and script and its complexities, I particularly enjoyed her chapter on the conventions of Beijing Opera, 'Farewell my concubine' is one of my favourite movies!
The book ends on a note that's both absolutely heartbreaking but also lovely and hopeful.
One might think that personal is not political, but it always is, and the chaos of history will end up affecting you, no matter how insignificant you are to the grander scheme of things. No wonder 'May you live in interesting times' is considered a curse!
The book alternates chapters of memoir with chapters on aspects of Chinese culture that are absolutely delightful-on Chinese art collectors, mahjong, the Chinese language and script and its complexities, I particularly enjoyed her chapter on the conventions of Beijing Opera, 'Farewell my concubine' is one of my favourite movies!
The book ends on a note that's both absolutely heartbreaking but also lovely and hopeful.
One might think that personal is not political, but it always is, and the chaos of history will end up affecting you, no matter how insignificant you are to the grander scheme of things. No wonder 'May you live in interesting times' is considered a curse!
April 6, 2019
I will admit that when I first started this book, I was slightly skeptical. There are millions of Chinese families that lived through the Cultural Revolution (including my own grandparents and parents), and everyone thinks they have an interesting story to tell. I didn't expect their stories to be interesting or outside the norm of what so many families lived through. But Isabel and Claire proved me wrong over and over again, each of their stories was more remarkable than the last. They told stories about their family that even the greatest fiction writers couldn't make up, like when Isabel's Yeye and his brother stole the fortune of her Taiyeye, or when Isabel's mother was basically sold into slavery for a few days. One of the first pages indicated that the book is in the process of being developed into a drama series. I think it would make for fascinating and exciting TV. I do hope Isabel is still around to be able to witness her family history making history.
While I can tell a lot of hard work and research went into the book, the one shortcoming of the book is that every story seemed so brief. Unlike historical fiction when the author can make up the details, Isabel and Clare could only tell what they found. A part of me almost wished this was a historical fiction in the hands of someone like Ken Follet or Edward Rutherford. This could be a 1000 page masterpiece and journey. Otherwise, the current form seems more like a collection of anecdotes than an actual novel. There were so many times when I wanted to shout at the authors, "tell me more! And then what happened?" I understand that they couldn't make up details when they themselves didn't have it, but I think there could have been more storytelling. Some of the anecdotes were so tragic, and they made me feel sad, but imagine if Khaled Hosseini his hands on them, we'd all be reduced to a pile of mush.
I think this book would make a great reading assignment for grades 7 - 10. I had to read Joy Luck Club in 10th grade, and I wish I had this book instead. Some of the topics in JLC were kind of tough for a 14/15 year old and went way over my head, but this books contains so many topics that a teenager can sink his/her teeth into, from family to politics to history. I also loved the pictures and inserts on Chinese culture within the book. These little additions keep young (and older ones like myself) readers engaged and interested, which makes this the perfect reading assignment. There are so many different topics presented in this book that can be researched or expounded upon, and I hope a middle/high school teacher is able to make this a part of their lit curriculum.
While I can tell a lot of hard work and research went into the book, the one shortcoming of the book is that every story seemed so brief. Unlike historical fiction when the author can make up the details, Isabel and Clare could only tell what they found. A part of me almost wished this was a historical fiction in the hands of someone like Ken Follet or Edward Rutherford. This could be a 1000 page masterpiece and journey. Otherwise, the current form seems more like a collection of anecdotes than an actual novel. There were so many times when I wanted to shout at the authors, "tell me more! And then what happened?" I understand that they couldn't make up details when they themselves didn't have it, but I think there could have been more storytelling. Some of the anecdotes were so tragic, and they made me feel sad, but imagine if Khaled Hosseini his hands on them, we'd all be reduced to a pile of mush.
I think this book would make a great reading assignment for grades 7 - 10. I had to read Joy Luck Club in 10th grade, and I wish I had this book instead. Some of the topics in JLC were kind of tough for a 14/15 year old and went way over my head, but this books contains so many topics that a teenager can sink his/her teeth into, from family to politics to history. I also loved the pictures and inserts on Chinese culture within the book. These little additions keep young (and older ones like myself) readers engaged and interested, which makes this the perfect reading assignment. There are so many different topics presented in this book that can be researched or expounded upon, and I hope a middle/high school teacher is able to make this a part of their lit curriculum.
March 1, 2021
Absolutely Enchanting
Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Claire Chao, Isabel Sun Chao is a most engaging and enchanting narrative that will almost certainly provide a rewarding and satisfying reading experience.
The journey of a "thousand miles" begins with the return of the third daughter, Isabel Sun Chao, and her daughter, Claire, as they stand together in front of the ancestral home of Isabel in Shanghai, China.
As the literal doors of the home are opened so are the parallel doors of countless memories experienced by the author. Together, through her mastery of exquisite and masterfully chosen words, we are escorted and ushered into a nostalgic corridor of privileged life prior to communistic China, the opulence of certain Chinese cultural enjoyments by a few, and the hard cold reality of life when its fragileness is disrupted.
In addition to the creatively captured and unfolding journey of the talented author are glimpses into the vast richness of life amongst the Chinese wealthy. A life that includes concubines, French perfume, beautiful clothes tailored by live-in tailors to name a few of the enjoyment of opulence.
However, no amount of privileges, wealth, or status can protect against betrayal, sadness, heartache, infidelity, separation from family, syndicated crime, or the devastation of oppressive governments.
And so, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels is such a journey that is recalled by Isabel Sun Chao; a truly marvelous and most wonderful read.
Added to the mix is the historical perspective that is highlighted by the author as a first-person witness. Additionally, adding to the verbal imagery are the creative illustrations and inclusion of tender family photographs of days gone by. One additional and intriguing element to the author's story is her work with the USIS (U.S. Information Service).
Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Claire Chao, Isabel Sun Chao is truly a literal gift to avid and non-avid readers alike. The pages contain a multi-generational account of the Sun family from their homeland of China and specifically Shanghai to Hong Kong and then a return to one's roots. The reader will most likely find themselves completely immersed in the wonderfully captured story that also highlights Chinese culture and life.
Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Claire Chao, Isabel Sun Chao is a most engaging and enchanting narrative that will almost certainly provide a rewarding and satisfying reading experience.
The journey of a "thousand miles" begins with the return of the third daughter, Isabel Sun Chao, and her daughter, Claire, as they stand together in front of the ancestral home of Isabel in Shanghai, China.
As the literal doors of the home are opened so are the parallel doors of countless memories experienced by the author. Together, through her mastery of exquisite and masterfully chosen words, we are escorted and ushered into a nostalgic corridor of privileged life prior to communistic China, the opulence of certain Chinese cultural enjoyments by a few, and the hard cold reality of life when its fragileness is disrupted.
In addition to the creatively captured and unfolding journey of the talented author are glimpses into the vast richness of life amongst the Chinese wealthy. A life that includes concubines, French perfume, beautiful clothes tailored by live-in tailors to name a few of the enjoyment of opulence.
However, no amount of privileges, wealth, or status can protect against betrayal, sadness, heartache, infidelity, separation from family, syndicated crime, or the devastation of oppressive governments.
And so, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels is such a journey that is recalled by Isabel Sun Chao; a truly marvelous and most wonderful read.
Added to the mix is the historical perspective that is highlighted by the author as a first-person witness. Additionally, adding to the verbal imagery are the creative illustrations and inclusion of tender family photographs of days gone by. One additional and intriguing element to the author's story is her work with the USIS (U.S. Information Service).
Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Claire Chao, Isabel Sun Chao is truly a literal gift to avid and non-avid readers alike. The pages contain a multi-generational account of the Sun family from their homeland of China and specifically Shanghai to Hong Kong and then a return to one's roots. The reader will most likely find themselves completely immersed in the wonderfully captured story that also highlights Chinese culture and life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews