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Daughters of the Sun and Moon
An instant New York Times bestseller!
From belovedbestselling author Lisa See, the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and, despite the odds, thrive, in the turmoil of post–Civil War Los Angeles.
In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in the small, dusty, and violent pueblo of Los Angeles. Dove, the bound-footed daughter of an imperial scholar, is entrancing and innocent. These characteristics should bring her great rewards, beginning with her arranged marriage to a much older merchant. Petal, the big-footed daughter of peasants, has grown up hungry and with dirt between her toes. In a moment of desperation, Petal’s father sells her to buy money for rice seed, and she is loaded onto a ship to the Gold Mountain—America—where she is once again sold. Moon is married to a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. She is educated, speaks fluent English, and has been endowed with a face of great beauty, yet her failed footbinding as a child has left her with a limp that lessens her value in the eyes of many.
Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to “eat bitterness” to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.
From belovedbestselling author Lisa See, the story of three Chinese women whose unexpected friendship helps them survive and, despite the odds, thrive, in the turmoil of post–Civil War Los Angeles.
In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in the small, dusty, and violent pueblo of Los Angeles. Dove, the bound-footed daughter of an imperial scholar, is entrancing and innocent. These characteristics should bring her great rewards, beginning with her arranged marriage to a much older merchant. Petal, the big-footed daughter of peasants, has grown up hungry and with dirt between her toes. In a moment of desperation, Petal’s father sells her to buy money for rice seed, and she is loaded onto a ship to the Gold Mountain—America—where she is once again sold. Moon is married to a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. She is educated, speaks fluent English, and has been endowed with a face of great beauty, yet her failed footbinding as a child has left her with a limp that lessens her value in the eyes of many.
Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to “eat bitterness” to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.
Audible Audio
First published June 9, 2026
About the author
Lisa See
22 books54.5k followersLisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Island of Sea Women, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. Her books have been published in 39 languages. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the History Maker’s Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women. You can learn more about her at www.LisaSee.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 785 reviews
July 1, 2026
Lisa See takes us back through time to 1870. A time when young Chinese women were given up by their families in China and sold to come to America. Many of them being forced to work in bawdy houses. All against their will.
Early on we meet Moon, who is now 80, and recounts how she met Dove & Petal. Moon, was the Chinese doctor’s wife; Petal, brought in to work in a brothel’ aka the 'wife of a thousand men'; Dove, hand-picked to be the second wife to a 60 year old man. All from different classes and backgrounds but somehow they manage to form a connection- a friendship.
Many of these Chinese were treated with hostility and discrimination. Women treated as chattel; concubines; all known to be ‘worthless’.
Lee captured the abandonment and shame these young women no doubt experienced, but she also captured their strength, bravery and resilience.
I appreciate Lee’s ability to weave in the Chinese women’s history in America. How there were 47 Chinese females who arrived in 1870. How The Night of Horrors - which was the Chinese Massacre of 1871 - impacted all the Chinese who resided in the L.A. area. The policies that existed which were brutal for the Chinese women.
A shameful time in American history.
4.5 ⭐️
Early on we meet Moon, who is now 80, and recounts how she met Dove & Petal. Moon, was the Chinese doctor’s wife; Petal, brought in to work in a brothel’ aka the 'wife of a thousand men'; Dove, hand-picked to be the second wife to a 60 year old man. All from different classes and backgrounds but somehow they manage to form a connection- a friendship.
Many of these Chinese were treated with hostility and discrimination. Women treated as chattel; concubines; all known to be ‘worthless’.
Lee captured the abandonment and shame these young women no doubt experienced, but she also captured their strength, bravery and resilience.
I appreciate Lee’s ability to weave in the Chinese women’s history in America. How there were 47 Chinese females who arrived in 1870. How The Night of Horrors - which was the Chinese Massacre of 1871 - impacted all the Chinese who resided in the L.A. area. The policies that existed which were brutal for the Chinese women.
A shameful time in American history.
4.5 ⭐️
June 6, 2026
If Lisa See is associated with it, I’m in.
Someone just asked if I've read this, and indeed I have! I just haven't had time to write a review. While not See's best work, I love the historical fiction of Los Angeles in the 1870s, a time where rampant racism and anti-Chinese sentiment ran true. It definitely has correlations to how we view immigrants today, and where their place in the world are knowing there is so much hatred...simply because they're not born here.
Told from the perspective of three Chinese women, who have all come to the U.S. to make a better life for themselves, some being sold by their families, the three struggle to assimilate, becomes forced into prostitution, loveless marriages, and so forth.
My only caveat, I felt like it wrapped up a little too...nicely. This wasn't an easy time to live until much later, especially well after the Chinese Exclusion act ended. Regardless, the story is an important one, and every AMERICAN, should learn about it.
Someone just asked if I've read this, and indeed I have! I just haven't had time to write a review. While not See's best work, I love the historical fiction of Los Angeles in the 1870s, a time where rampant racism and anti-Chinese sentiment ran true. It definitely has correlations to how we view immigrants today, and where their place in the world are knowing there is so much hatred...simply because they're not born here.
Told from the perspective of three Chinese women, who have all come to the U.S. to make a better life for themselves, some being sold by their families, the three struggle to assimilate, becomes forced into prostitution, loveless marriages, and so forth.
My only caveat, I felt like it wrapped up a little too...nicely. This wasn't an easy time to live until much later, especially well after the Chinese Exclusion act ended. Regardless, the story is an important one, and every AMERICAN, should learn about it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lisa See continues to be the queen of Asian literature. She is the ultimate champion of Chinese women in history, sharing their stories with readers everywhere. I definitely enjoyed this historical fiction book, and fans of this author will too.
This is a story about three Chinese women who meet by chance in Los Angeles in 1870. They are very different from one another, but they soon form a friendship that will bond them together for their entire lives. They all searched for either love, freedom, or justice.
Dove was sent to America at the age of seventeen to be the second wife to a store owner in the new town of Los Angeles, while his wife and children stay home in China to fulfill their filial duty to their ancestors. Dove's duty was to serve her older new husband, follow his every command, and be a symbol of his wealth.
At 18 years old, Petal is sold by her parents in China and sent to California to live a hard life of prostitution. Her dream is to one day return to China and be happy again.
Moon's narrative takes place when she is 82 years old, but she shares her memories of her life in Los Angeles with her loving Chinese husband who is a local physician, and how her life changed when she met Dove and Petal, when she was twenty-six.
All these women arrived in Los Angeles when there were very few Chinese people. Women were bought, sold, and owned. Even though slavery had been abolished, it didn't change things for these immigrant women. They had little value, were hidden away, and had absolutely no control over their bodies or their lives. The Chinese immigrants were vilified and persecuted.
A large part of this book centers around a significant, but little-known historical event. In October of 1871, a large group of rioters and vigilantes in Los Angeles rounded up all the Chinese people they could get their hands on and with the mayor and police turning their backs on the scene, the Chinese were brutally attacked and murdered. This became known as the Chinese Massacre of 1871 or the Night of Horrors. A night of violence brought on by hatred, jealousy, and rivalry.
How the three main female characters survived, saved each other, and moved on with their lives is a beautiful portrait of strength, solidarity, and love.
The Author's Note at the end of the book was greatly appreciated. It contains numerous interesting facts, including information on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
My sincere thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a story about three Chinese women who meet by chance in Los Angeles in 1870. They are very different from one another, but they soon form a friendship that will bond them together for their entire lives. They all searched for either love, freedom, or justice.
Dove was sent to America at the age of seventeen to be the second wife to a store owner in the new town of Los Angeles, while his wife and children stay home in China to fulfill their filial duty to their ancestors. Dove's duty was to serve her older new husband, follow his every command, and be a symbol of his wealth.
At 18 years old, Petal is sold by her parents in China and sent to California to live a hard life of prostitution. Her dream is to one day return to China and be happy again.
Moon's narrative takes place when she is 82 years old, but she shares her memories of her life in Los Angeles with her loving Chinese husband who is a local physician, and how her life changed when she met Dove and Petal, when she was twenty-six.
All these women arrived in Los Angeles when there were very few Chinese people. Women were bought, sold, and owned. Even though slavery had been abolished, it didn't change things for these immigrant women. They had little value, were hidden away, and had absolutely no control over their bodies or their lives. The Chinese immigrants were vilified and persecuted.
A large part of this book centers around a significant, but little-known historical event. In October of 1871, a large group of rioters and vigilantes in Los Angeles rounded up all the Chinese people they could get their hands on and with the mayor and police turning their backs on the scene, the Chinese were brutally attacked and murdered. This became known as the Chinese Massacre of 1871 or the Night of Horrors. A night of violence brought on by hatred, jealousy, and rivalry.
How the three main female characters survived, saved each other, and moved on with their lives is a beautiful portrait of strength, solidarity, and love.
The Author's Note at the end of the book was greatly appreciated. It contains numerous interesting facts, including information on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
My sincere thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2026
DAUGHTERS OF THE SUN AND MOON
By Lisa See
Narrated by Jennifer Lim, Quanna Luo Masterson, Emily Loo Zeller, and Lisa See
Another forgotten—and ugly—chapter in American history.
Set against the backdrop of the 1871 Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles, this historical fiction novel is layered with stories of survival and belonging. It follows three Chinese women—Dove, Petal, and Moon—whose lives intersect in late nineteenth-century Los Angeles.
Coming from vastly different backgrounds, each faces hardship, sacrifice, and the limitations placed on women as they navigate life amid growing anti-Chinese sentiment.
I appreciate Lisa See’s commitment to uncovering history that has been lost, forgotten, or deliberately overlooked—particularly the stories of women. The characters in Daughters of the Sun and Moon are inspired by real women and men who lived in Los Angeles during the early 1870s. Petal was the most emotionally compelling character for me, and I admired her remarkable courage and resilience.
Extensively researched and richly detailed, this character-driven novel transports readers to nineteenth-century Los Angeles. The tone is reflective, emotional, and at times heartbreaking, yet balanced with moments of strength, perseverance, and hope.
Themes of immigration, prejudice, friendship, family, resilience, and belonging run throughout the story.
After finishing this moving novel, I found myself reflecting on the treatment of Chinese immigrants in nineteenth-century America, particularly during the Night of Horrors in Los Angeles, and considering how those events echo the experiences of many immigrants today. I knew very little about this horrifying event and found myself researching it after I finished the book. The novel raises an important question: Have we learned from the past, or are we destined to repeat it?
The narration by Jennifer Lim, Quanna Luo Masterson, and Emily Woo Zeller gave Dove, Petal, and Moon distinct voices, making it easy to connect with each woman’s story. I’ve enjoyed several of Lisa See’s previous novels, and Daughters of the Sun and Moon is another memorable read. Be sure to listen to the author’s note, where she shares the historical research and real-life events that inspired the novel.
I combined my Goodreads Giveaway copy with the audiobook, which made for an even more immersive reading experience.
By Lisa See
Narrated by Jennifer Lim, Quanna Luo Masterson, Emily Loo Zeller, and Lisa See
Another forgotten—and ugly—chapter in American history.
Set against the backdrop of the 1871 Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles, this historical fiction novel is layered with stories of survival and belonging. It follows three Chinese women—Dove, Petal, and Moon—whose lives intersect in late nineteenth-century Los Angeles.
Coming from vastly different backgrounds, each faces hardship, sacrifice, and the limitations placed on women as they navigate life amid growing anti-Chinese sentiment.
I appreciate Lisa See’s commitment to uncovering history that has been lost, forgotten, or deliberately overlooked—particularly the stories of women. The characters in Daughters of the Sun and Moon are inspired by real women and men who lived in Los Angeles during the early 1870s. Petal was the most emotionally compelling character for me, and I admired her remarkable courage and resilience.
Extensively researched and richly detailed, this character-driven novel transports readers to nineteenth-century Los Angeles. The tone is reflective, emotional, and at times heartbreaking, yet balanced with moments of strength, perseverance, and hope.
Themes of immigration, prejudice, friendship, family, resilience, and belonging run throughout the story.
After finishing this moving novel, I found myself reflecting on the treatment of Chinese immigrants in nineteenth-century America, particularly during the Night of Horrors in Los Angeles, and considering how those events echo the experiences of many immigrants today. I knew very little about this horrifying event and found myself researching it after I finished the book. The novel raises an important question: Have we learned from the past, or are we destined to repeat it?
The narration by Jennifer Lim, Quanna Luo Masterson, and Emily Woo Zeller gave Dove, Petal, and Moon distinct voices, making it easy to connect with each woman’s story. I’ve enjoyed several of Lisa See’s previous novels, and Daughters of the Sun and Moon is another memorable read. Be sure to listen to the author’s note, where she shares the historical research and real-life events that inspired the novel.
I combined my Goodreads Giveaway copy with the audiobook, which made for an even more immersive reading experience.
June 14, 2026
This is my third Lisa See novel and another 5 star. If she writes it, I'm going to read it.
The three main characters, Dove, Petal and Moon stole my heart. Each of their povs alternated throughout the story and I found myself equally connected to each of them. I love a strong female character!
I was unaware of this time in history and absolutely horrified by the Los Angeles Chinese massacre of 1871. The scenes in the book where this takes place were so hard to read.
I highly recommend Daughters of the Sun and Moon!
My thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the gifted copy.
The three main characters, Dove, Petal and Moon stole my heart. Each of their povs alternated throughout the story and I found myself equally connected to each of them. I love a strong female character!
I was unaware of this time in history and absolutely horrified by the Los Angeles Chinese massacre of 1871. The scenes in the book where this takes place were so hard to read.
I highly recommend Daughters of the Sun and Moon!
My thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the gifted copy.
June 9, 2026
This is a powerful and beautifully written book with vivid characters and a strong emotional atmosphere. The subject matter was much heavier than I expected, and the reading experience became difficult for me personally. Readers who are comfortable with very dark themes may connect with it more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance digital copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance digital copy.
Currently Reading
April 15, 2026I won this book and it arrived today. I am so excited. How can I post that I am reading it?
June 19, 2026
I love Lisa See. This one spans the Lives of three Women and Starts in 1870 as they journey to Los Angeles with dreams of a new life. California was not exactly welcoming to Asian Immigrants. Much Violence is to coming.
Petal, Moon, and Dove each live very different lives, but their friendship sustains them.
With Lisa See, I always learn so much history I was unaware of. The Night of Horrors and all the Chinese killed was awful, yet rarely documented. It was a hard life in Los Angeles during this time period. This story was exceptional moving and felt for the three women characters and all they had to endure. It was Wonderful to See each find Their Voice in a Time it was so Difficult to Do. Yet, love for each other gets them through. Lovely Book.
Thank You NetGalley and Scribner for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.
Petal, Moon, and Dove each live very different lives, but their friendship sustains them.
With Lisa See, I always learn so much history I was unaware of. The Night of Horrors and all the Chinese killed was awful, yet rarely documented. It was a hard life in Los Angeles during this time period. This story was exceptional moving and felt for the three women characters and all they had to endure. It was Wonderful to See each find Their Voice in a Time it was so Difficult to Do. Yet, love for each other gets them through. Lovely Book.
Thank You NetGalley and Scribner for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.
July 8, 2026
Unfortunately, this newest book by Lisa See is based on real events (such as The Night of Horrors, which I knew nothing about) and inspired by real people of Chinese ancestry that endured almost unimaginable racism and treatment, particularly in Los Angeles in 1870 when anti-Chinese sentiments were high. The 3 main female characters come from very different walks of life, each with a unique challenge, and each yearning for something. One desires to be truly loved, another desires freedom and the third seeks justice. Over time, they are brought together as they discover their individual voices. As is typical with Lisa See books, Daughters of the Sun and Moon was thoroughly researched, emotionally charged and there is again a See family connection.
In many ways it deserves a 5-star rating, yet it was so heart-wrenching that I decided on 4 stars. I realize the difficult stories that are so hard to stomach are important to know, otherwise how can we prevent history from repeating itself if we don't know the story? But be prepared because this book, with its beautiful cover, is so very hard to hear. But there is also an inspirational aspect and 2 quotes that I particularly loved are:
* "Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."
* "A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live."
In many ways it deserves a 5-star rating, yet it was so heart-wrenching that I decided on 4 stars. I realize the difficult stories that are so hard to stomach are important to know, otherwise how can we prevent history from repeating itself if we don't know the story? But be prepared because this book, with its beautiful cover, is so very hard to hear. But there is also an inspirational aspect and 2 quotes that I particularly loved are:
* "Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall."
* "A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live."
June 24, 2026
Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See is another five-star read from an author who continues to impress me. I was absolutely enthralled by Lady Tan's Circle of Women, and this novel captured me in much the same way.
One of See's greatest strengths is her ability to create rich, memorable characters while exploring the complexities of women's lives with nuance and compassion. The relationships between women with the support, rivalry, sacrifice, and understanding they offer one another, feels deeply authentic. I was completely invested in the characters and their journeys from beginning to end.
What elevates this to a five-star read is how effortlessly See combines meticulous historical detail with an emotionally compelling story. The setting feels vivid and lived-in without ever overwhelming the narrative, and every challenge the characters face is grounded in the social realities of their time. See has a remarkable talent for illuminating the constraints placed on women while also highlighting their resilience, intelligence, and agency.
Beyond the historical setting, the novel succeeds because of its emotional depth. The triumphs felt earned, the hardships genuinely affecting, and the central themes of family, community, and female solidarity resonated long after I finished the book. Beautifully researched, immersive, and deeply human, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is exactly the kind of historical fiction I love and another reminder of why Lisa See remains one of my favorite authors.
Thank you Lisa See, Simon & Schuster Canada | Scribner, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One of See's greatest strengths is her ability to create rich, memorable characters while exploring the complexities of women's lives with nuance and compassion. The relationships between women with the support, rivalry, sacrifice, and understanding they offer one another, feels deeply authentic. I was completely invested in the characters and their journeys from beginning to end.
What elevates this to a five-star read is how effortlessly See combines meticulous historical detail with an emotionally compelling story. The setting feels vivid and lived-in without ever overwhelming the narrative, and every challenge the characters face is grounded in the social realities of their time. See has a remarkable talent for illuminating the constraints placed on women while also highlighting their resilience, intelligence, and agency.
Beyond the historical setting, the novel succeeds because of its emotional depth. The triumphs felt earned, the hardships genuinely affecting, and the central themes of family, community, and female solidarity resonated long after I finished the book. Beautifully researched, immersive, and deeply human, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is exactly the kind of historical fiction I love and another reminder of why Lisa See remains one of my favorite authors.
Thank you Lisa See, Simon & Schuster Canada | Scribner, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2026
Once again, I’ve been reminded of why reading historical fiction is so important. My eyes were opened to an event in our country’s history that I had never even heard of before!
🤔This story centers around “The Night of Horrors” in 1871 Los Angeles, on which angry mob attacked and killed Chinese immigrants.
❤️I loved the historical context of this story and how it was told from the perspectives of three Chinese women. Unfortunately, what had the potential to be a great story wasn’t well-executed.
🤷♀️Why not five stars?
Events leading up to the massacre covered 75 percent of the story. I agree that some of these details were important for setting the stage, but the pacing felt slow and repetitive to me. We finally get to the night in question, and then the aftermath is poured out with a barrage of information in the final ten percent.
I wish that the Night of Horrors had happened earlier in the story so that the impact could have been explored in a lengthier manner.
🤔Bottom line: I have seen several stellar reviews for this book, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Even though this is my least favorite novel by See, it could still be worthwhile for historical fiction lovers.
⚠️Profanity: none that I recall
Sexual: 2/5 (A main character is a sex worker, and many chapters are devoted to her experiences, although not in great detail.)
Other: Sexual exploitation, sexually transmitted diseases, miscarriage, lynchings, racism, gun violence
🫶🏼Thanks to @scribner and @netgalley for my ARC.
🤔This story centers around “The Night of Horrors” in 1871 Los Angeles, on which angry mob attacked and killed Chinese immigrants.
❤️I loved the historical context of this story and how it was told from the perspectives of three Chinese women. Unfortunately, what had the potential to be a great story wasn’t well-executed.
🤷♀️Why not five stars?
Events leading up to the massacre covered 75 percent of the story. I agree that some of these details were important for setting the stage, but the pacing felt slow and repetitive to me. We finally get to the night in question, and then the aftermath is poured out with a barrage of information in the final ten percent.
I wish that the Night of Horrors had happened earlier in the story so that the impact could have been explored in a lengthier manner.
🤔Bottom line: I have seen several stellar reviews for this book, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Even though this is my least favorite novel by See, it could still be worthwhile for historical fiction lovers.
⚠️Profanity: none that I recall
Sexual: 2/5 (A main character is a sex worker, and many chapters are devoted to her experiences, although not in great detail.)
Other: Sexual exploitation, sexually transmitted diseases, miscarriage, lynchings, racism, gun violence
🫶🏼Thanks to @scribner and @netgalley for my ARC.
June 27, 2026
3.75⭐️'s. I liked this book. I learned about a part of history that I wasn't aware of which was informative. However, I wasn't immersed in the storyline like I was in her other novels.
June 11, 2026
Review to follow shortly
November 16, 2025
so excited ! ^-^
July 3, 2026
Everyone y’all need to be reading this story.
It is graphic. It is sickening. It is an American embarrassment.
What I have found though on my 4th of July holiday reading is that the pursuit of freedom is worth every ounce of everything; that we need community to help us along; that being kind is greater than everything; that we are all in this together.
But now, let us learn from three Chinese women who survived it:
“I’ve suffered thousands upon thousands of mistreatments. For too long my belly has been filled with grudges, frustrations, and grievances. So many times I’ve wondered what I must have in a past life to deserve such debasement. Everything always turns to the opposite.”
“I’ve been so focused on physically escaping this life that it isn’t until this moment that I understand there are other means of escape—with my mind and with my heart.
I envision for myself the four great gifts of happiness, prosperity, longevity, and peace.”
“We are only women—
When did that stop you from trying to find freedom? When did that keep you from going forward? When did that prevent you from being a decent women, even when you’d been brought low?”
“Always remember your value….Dont let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do….If she can stand on those tiny feet and do all the things she does, then you can do anything on those big feet of yours.”
“We each had weaknesses to overcome, but we also faced a larger society that wished us not one ounce of goodwill. We shared the experiences of having little choice, little power, and little opportunity. We unearthed within ourselves bravery, endurance, and the ability to eat bitterness. We discovered our voices, found freedom, and changed our destinies. If not for Petal and Dove,I would not be the woman I am today. My heart overflows with gratitude.”
It is graphic. It is sickening. It is an American embarrassment.
What I have found though on my 4th of July holiday reading is that the pursuit of freedom is worth every ounce of everything; that we need community to help us along; that being kind is greater than everything; that we are all in this together.
But now, let us learn from three Chinese women who survived it:
“I’ve suffered thousands upon thousands of mistreatments. For too long my belly has been filled with grudges, frustrations, and grievances. So many times I’ve wondered what I must have in a past life to deserve such debasement. Everything always turns to the opposite.”
“I’ve been so focused on physically escaping this life that it isn’t until this moment that I understand there are other means of escape—with my mind and with my heart.
I envision for myself the four great gifts of happiness, prosperity, longevity, and peace.”
“We are only women—
When did that stop you from trying to find freedom? When did that keep you from going forward? When did that prevent you from being a decent women, even when you’d been brought low?”
“Always remember your value….Dont let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do….If she can stand on those tiny feet and do all the things she does, then you can do anything on those big feet of yours.”
“We each had weaknesses to overcome, but we also faced a larger society that wished us not one ounce of goodwill. We shared the experiences of having little choice, little power, and little opportunity. We unearthed within ourselves bravery, endurance, and the ability to eat bitterness. We discovered our voices, found freedom, and changed our destinies. If not for Petal and Dove,I would not be the woman I am today. My heart overflows with gratitude.”
June 26, 2026
4🌟I have loved Lisa See’s books for many years. My first Lisa See novel was Snow Flower and the Secret Fan over 20 years ago. Lady Tan is my most recent favorite by this author. Set in 1870’s Los Angeles, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is a portrait of a very difficult time in history. Unfortunately, during that time Chinese immigrants, and especially Chinese women, were treated very poorly. Some of the topics explored here include immigration, racism, sexism, sex trafficking, prostitution, and kidnapping. What I liked best about the book is the women’s friendships and how they kept showing up for one another throughout all their various trials. I loved the author’s note at the end stating her family’s personal history and how she came to be interested in this story. This is great historical fiction. I had both the audio and ebook and enjoyed them equally.
July 5, 2026
Another great historical fiction novel by Lisa See, who is an automatic read for me. This one didn’t engage me as much as some of her others but it was about a time in US history in early LA times that I knew nothing about. I think if I had read the Author’s Note before I read the book and realized the personal stake in this book it would have been more impactful.
June 20, 2026
Set in post–Civil War Los Angeles, the story follows three women whose lives are shaped by betrayal, loss, and the brutal machinery of human trafficking. Dove and Petal are taken from China under the guise of opportunity, only to be sold into prostitution the moment their feet touch American soil. Moon, educated and married to a respected doctor, should be safe, yet she’s pulled into their suffering simply because she refuses to look away.
What begins as a chance connection becomes a sisterhood built on fear, tenderness, and the belief that even in darkness, women save one another. Moon and her husband offer what protection they can, but rising anti‑Chinese hatred, culminating in the Chinese Massacre of 1871, also known as the Night of Horrors, threatens to destroy their fragile refuge.
This book is not gentle. The violence against women is graphic and emotionally heavy, yet honest. See never sensationalizes their pain, she honors it, forcing us to witness what history tried to bury. And still, amid the brutality, the story glows with connection, small kindnesses, whispered comfort, and the fierce loyalty of women who have only each other.
I finished this book shaken, grieving, and grateful. I had no idea how deeply rooted anti‑Chinese sentiment was in 19th‑century Los Angeles, or how many women were trafficked and erased. See brings them back into the light with compassion and unflinching truth.
🎙Narrator Spotlight - Jennifer Lim, Quanna Luo Masterson, and Emily Woo Zeller each bring a distinct emotional truth to their characters, giving the women’s stories a voice that feels lived‑in and deeply human. Lisa See’s final audio note, explaining her personal connection to the story, made my broken heart ache even further.
What begins as a chance connection becomes a sisterhood built on fear, tenderness, and the belief that even in darkness, women save one another. Moon and her husband offer what protection they can, but rising anti‑Chinese hatred, culminating in the Chinese Massacre of 1871, also known as the Night of Horrors, threatens to destroy their fragile refuge.
This book is not gentle. The violence against women is graphic and emotionally heavy, yet honest. See never sensationalizes their pain, she honors it, forcing us to witness what history tried to bury. And still, amid the brutality, the story glows with connection, small kindnesses, whispered comfort, and the fierce loyalty of women who have only each other.
I finished this book shaken, grieving, and grateful. I had no idea how deeply rooted anti‑Chinese sentiment was in 19th‑century Los Angeles, or how many women were trafficked and erased. See brings them back into the light with compassion and unflinching truth.
🎙Narrator Spotlight - Jennifer Lim, Quanna Luo Masterson, and Emily Woo Zeller each bring a distinct emotional truth to their characters, giving the women’s stories a voice that feels lived‑in and deeply human. Lisa See’s final audio note, explaining her personal connection to the story, made my broken heart ache even further.
July 2, 2026
I enjoyed this historical fiction novel which focuses on three Chinese women living in Los Angeles in 1870-71. Each woman has come from different backgrounds, but face constrictions in their lives to varying degrees due to the men around them.
The chapters that focus on Petal are written in the first person and as the actions are happening, while Dove’s chapters written in third person, but also in the present (during 1870-71). Lastly, Moon’s chapters are written in first person, but as an old woman, looking back on the events of the past. I felt like I engaged most with Petal’s chapters.
The book starts off with a few exciting chapters, then it is a bit of slow burn for a while, and then the last half of the book becomes more exciting again.
I enjoyed learning about the lives of the Chinese in Los Angeles during 1870-71. The Night of Horrors has been mostly forgotten in American history, and books like this are essential to keeping the memory of those events alive so that they may not be repeated.
As always in Lisa See books, there are many aphorisms – Chinese proverbs – scattered throughout the book. I always enjoy these, especially the ones that still make so much sense today.
A good book for people who already enjoy Lisa See books. Also good for people who are interested in books that explore lesser known aspects of history, and for people who like to learn about other cultures.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster (Australia), and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The chapters that focus on Petal are written in the first person and as the actions are happening, while Dove’s chapters written in third person, but also in the present (during 1870-71). Lastly, Moon’s chapters are written in first person, but as an old woman, looking back on the events of the past. I felt like I engaged most with Petal’s chapters.
The book starts off with a few exciting chapters, then it is a bit of slow burn for a while, and then the last half of the book becomes more exciting again.
I enjoyed learning about the lives of the Chinese in Los Angeles during 1870-71. The Night of Horrors has been mostly forgotten in American history, and books like this are essential to keeping the memory of those events alive so that they may not be repeated.
As always in Lisa See books, there are many aphorisms – Chinese proverbs – scattered throughout the book. I always enjoy these, especially the ones that still make so much sense today.
A good book for people who already enjoy Lisa See books. Also good for people who are interested in books that explore lesser known aspects of history, and for people who like to learn about other cultures.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster (Australia), and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 1, 2026
The "Night of Horrors" refers to the Chinese Massacre of 1871. It happened on October 24, 1871, in Los Angeles, California . So the story goes, from the Night of Horrors, to a life well lived. This story spans a lifetime of Chinese women living in the 1800’s and one of them reliving their past as she lives well into the 1920’s. Strong, smart and resilient women, the end wraps up nicely, although I must say there are some very graphic scenes of violence that I tried to pass by.
February 1, 2026
Lisa See writes such amazing and powerful stories and this one is no different. One of the hardest books I have ever read but such a powerful and important story
July 4, 2026
Thanks to Lisa See for bringing to my attention a history lesson I knew nothing about. It's post Civil War in 1870, Los Angeles, CA. We are introduced to three strong, brave women. I was shocked and intrigued by their story. I love Lisa Sees writing. I enjoyed the history note by the author at the end.
The cover is beautiful!
The cover is beautiful!
February 2, 2026
I want to thank NetGalley, Lisa See and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this book, for my honest opinion. First, I am a big fan of historical fiction and Lisa See's writing and her newest book, did not disappoint! She writes in such a way that one can visualize the scene, feel the pain, frustration, excitement, and every other emotion, and those emotions are so visceral one is horrified, sheds tears, laughs, pouts and cheers. This book is about three Chinese women in the late 1870's into the 1920's, when Chinese workers have finished the transcontinental railroad, living in what is now the Los Angeles area. These women are vastly different and the story is told from each of their viewpoints and what they want in their lives, love, freedom and justice. The research Ms. See did is very evident (she even includes some pictures), in the descriptions of the areas, the events, fashions, and attitudes of the people. If I was not already a fan, after reading this book I certainly would be!
June 12, 2026
In October 1871, a mob of roughly five hundred Angelenos lynched, shot, and stabbed eighteen Chinese residents in a single night of frenzied violence. The dirt streets ran with blood. The bodies were stacked at a jail yard. Then, for more than a century, the city looked the other way. A freeway on-ramp eventually paved over the block where it happened. Lisa See has spent her career retrieving stories the official record preferred to misplace, and with Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See, she returns to her own city's most disgraceful chapter and dares us to look directly at it.
Three Women, Three Crossings, One Pueblo
The novel braids the lives of three Chinese women who land in the dusty, drunken, half-Confederate pueblo of Los Angeles in 1870.
Dove, seventeen, bound-footed, the daughter of a faded scholar in Canton, has been sold as a second wife to an aging merchant who will display her on a carved chair in his shop the way another man might display a porcelain vase.
Petal, eighteen, big-footed and barefoot, is tricked onto a boat by her father, sold to the Hip Yee Tong for forty Mexican silver dollars, auctioned naked in the Queen's Room at the Oriental Warehouse in San Francisco, and shipped south to the Midnight Garden bawdy house.
Moon, in her thirties, born and educated in Hong Kong, married to Dr. Chee Long "Gene" Tong, the most respected Chinese man in town, walks with a limp from a childhood infection and dresses like an American to please her husband's white patients.
They orbit each other for sixteen months along the Calle de los Negros before fate aligns them. Dove wants love. Petal wants to walk home. Moon wants justice. They will not get the things they want in the shape they asked for.
A Story Told in Three Voices
The architecture of the novel is its boldest swing. Moon narrates in the first person, looking back from 1926, an old woman of eighty-two writing because "the palest ink is better than the best memory." Petal narrates in the first person too, but in the bruised present, with the rawness of a girl still inside the trap. Dove gets the third person, distant and beautiful, the way her husband sees her, the way the newspapers will later describe her, "she of the almond eyes." It is a choice with a thesis. Dove is the woman who is told who she is and what she wants until the people deciding her fate cancel each other out. Pulling her language away from her on the page lets See make the reader feel that erasure in their teeth.
There are stretches where the third-person remove around Dove keeps her at arm's length even from us, which is the price of the device. Some readers may find her the hardest of the three to hold onto. That is, almost certainly, the point. But the cost is real.
The Craft of It
Lisa See's research has always been her quiet bragging right, and here she has poured years of archival work into the texture of every page. Justice of the Peace Gray's actual ledger. The Wing Chung store rebranded as Forever Prosperous. The Cantonese aphorisms threaded into dialogue the way salt threads a broth. Traditional Chinese medicine treated with the same careful precision as the courtroom procedure. Lao Tzu opens each part. A newspaper clipping from the Los Angeles Gazette opens it again, in a different register, screaming the racial language of the time so that no reader can pretend it was a quiet bigotry.
A few touches that land especially well:
Auntie Lau renaming the trafficked girls in the ship's hold after flowers, and calling it a gift.
A small white poodle named Winter Melon who somehow ended up in Moon's apartment and survived the massacre, drawn from a real newspaper detail.
The image of Dove embroidering a village pond for Petal, who has never spoken a single line to her, and slipping it into her palm when no one is looking.
The three meanings the women's husbands and customers attach to sex: "the husband-wife thing," "bed business," "clouds and rain," each phrase a small social atlas.
Where the Novel Wavers
A book this researched can occasionally read as if it is carrying its sources on its back. The court scenes that follow the Night of Horrors are historically devastating and morally necessary, but they slow the pulse considerably, and the cycle of habeas corpus, demurrer, mistrial, reversal can become a procedural recitation when the novel's emotional engine wants to be running elsewhere.
The aphorisms, which are part of the music, sometimes tip into instruction. A character explaining a saying to another character who would already know it is a small but recurring tic. And the supporting cast, especially the named henchmen and rival tong members, expands faster than memory can hold, so that by the time a particular Three-Finger Lee or Headman Yo returns, readers may need a beat to place him.
These are the complaints of a four-star reader, not a three. They do not undo the book. They are the friction of a writer reaching for a fuller record than fiction usually attempts.
Where It Sits in Her Body of Work
Readers who came to her through Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, or Shanghai Girls will recognize her interest in women whose friendships do the work that institutions refuse to do. Lady Tan's Circle of Women and The Island of Sea Women sharpened her ear for women as practitioners, as workers, as witnesses. Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See is the closest she has come to her 1995 family memoir On Gold Mountain, which traced her own great-great-grandfather's arrival in this same city. The pueblo on these pages is not a stage set. It is a place she has been walking for thirty years.
Who This Book Is For
Pick it up if you read Lisa See for the woman-to-woman bond underneath the embroidery and the herbs. Pick it up if you want a piece of American history that the curriculum quietly skipped. Approach it with care if you struggle with depictions of sexual violence, trafficking, or mob killing, because See does not look away and does not ask the reader to.
Closing Thought
Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See is not a comfortable read. It is also not, in the end, a hopeless one. The verdicts get reversed. The killers walk. The block gets paved. And yet three women sit on a porch in the Apablasa orchard, growing herbs, raising children, telling each other the old stories of the Moon Lady and the Spinning Maid, alive when the men with the rope wanted them dead. That is what See has done, again, with the patience of a woman embroidering a village onto silk: she has put them back where the city tried to forget them.
Three Women, Three Crossings, One Pueblo
The novel braids the lives of three Chinese women who land in the dusty, drunken, half-Confederate pueblo of Los Angeles in 1870.
Dove, seventeen, bound-footed, the daughter of a faded scholar in Canton, has been sold as a second wife to an aging merchant who will display her on a carved chair in his shop the way another man might display a porcelain vase.
Petal, eighteen, big-footed and barefoot, is tricked onto a boat by her father, sold to the Hip Yee Tong for forty Mexican silver dollars, auctioned naked in the Queen's Room at the Oriental Warehouse in San Francisco, and shipped south to the Midnight Garden bawdy house.
Moon, in her thirties, born and educated in Hong Kong, married to Dr. Chee Long "Gene" Tong, the most respected Chinese man in town, walks with a limp from a childhood infection and dresses like an American to please her husband's white patients.
They orbit each other for sixteen months along the Calle de los Negros before fate aligns them. Dove wants love. Petal wants to walk home. Moon wants justice. They will not get the things they want in the shape they asked for.
A Story Told in Three Voices
The architecture of the novel is its boldest swing. Moon narrates in the first person, looking back from 1926, an old woman of eighty-two writing because "the palest ink is better than the best memory." Petal narrates in the first person too, but in the bruised present, with the rawness of a girl still inside the trap. Dove gets the third person, distant and beautiful, the way her husband sees her, the way the newspapers will later describe her, "she of the almond eyes." It is a choice with a thesis. Dove is the woman who is told who she is and what she wants until the people deciding her fate cancel each other out. Pulling her language away from her on the page lets See make the reader feel that erasure in their teeth.
There are stretches where the third-person remove around Dove keeps her at arm's length even from us, which is the price of the device. Some readers may find her the hardest of the three to hold onto. That is, almost certainly, the point. But the cost is real.
The Craft of It
Lisa See's research has always been her quiet bragging right, and here she has poured years of archival work into the texture of every page. Justice of the Peace Gray's actual ledger. The Wing Chung store rebranded as Forever Prosperous. The Cantonese aphorisms threaded into dialogue the way salt threads a broth. Traditional Chinese medicine treated with the same careful precision as the courtroom procedure. Lao Tzu opens each part. A newspaper clipping from the Los Angeles Gazette opens it again, in a different register, screaming the racial language of the time so that no reader can pretend it was a quiet bigotry.
A few touches that land especially well:
Auntie Lau renaming the trafficked girls in the ship's hold after flowers, and calling it a gift.
A small white poodle named Winter Melon who somehow ended up in Moon's apartment and survived the massacre, drawn from a real newspaper detail.
The image of Dove embroidering a village pond for Petal, who has never spoken a single line to her, and slipping it into her palm when no one is looking.
The three meanings the women's husbands and customers attach to sex: "the husband-wife thing," "bed business," "clouds and rain," each phrase a small social atlas.
Where the Novel Wavers
A book this researched can occasionally read as if it is carrying its sources on its back. The court scenes that follow the Night of Horrors are historically devastating and morally necessary, but they slow the pulse considerably, and the cycle of habeas corpus, demurrer, mistrial, reversal can become a procedural recitation when the novel's emotional engine wants to be running elsewhere.
The aphorisms, which are part of the music, sometimes tip into instruction. A character explaining a saying to another character who would already know it is a small but recurring tic. And the supporting cast, especially the named henchmen and rival tong members, expands faster than memory can hold, so that by the time a particular Three-Finger Lee or Headman Yo returns, readers may need a beat to place him.
These are the complaints of a four-star reader, not a three. They do not undo the book. They are the friction of a writer reaching for a fuller record than fiction usually attempts.
Where It Sits in Her Body of Work
Readers who came to her through Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, or Shanghai Girls will recognize her interest in women whose friendships do the work that institutions refuse to do. Lady Tan's Circle of Women and The Island of Sea Women sharpened her ear for women as practitioners, as workers, as witnesses. Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See is the closest she has come to her 1995 family memoir On Gold Mountain, which traced her own great-great-grandfather's arrival in this same city. The pueblo on these pages is not a stage set. It is a place she has been walking for thirty years.
Who This Book Is For
Pick it up if you read Lisa See for the woman-to-woman bond underneath the embroidery and the herbs. Pick it up if you want a piece of American history that the curriculum quietly skipped. Approach it with care if you struggle with depictions of sexual violence, trafficking, or mob killing, because See does not look away and does not ask the reader to.
Closing Thought
Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See is not a comfortable read. It is also not, in the end, a hopeless one. The verdicts get reversed. The killers walk. The block gets paved. And yet three women sit on a porch in the Apablasa orchard, growing herbs, raising children, telling each other the old stories of the Moon Lady and the Spinning Maid, alive when the men with the rope wanted them dead. That is what See has done, again, with the patience of a woman embroidering a village onto silk: she has put them back where the city tried to forget them.
June 30, 2026
IF YOU ARE IN MY BOOK CLUB GO NO FURTHER UNTIL YOU FINISH READING! I NEVER KNOW IF IM GIVING SPOILERS OR NOT. Also I will probably give spoilers. So be warned anyone who wants to read this.
Okay. First off Lisa See does her RESEARCH! This woman! She’s amazing.
Second, this book is very heavy. A historical era that I have not read…. anything? about. I have a small inkling of something but I think it was a miniseries I watched once. Death, prostitution, rape, murder, slavery of a kind I didn’t know happened but should have.
Third, I loved reading the idioms, proverbs, and culturally significant phrasing that she used throughout. Though I am not Chinese nor familiar with many cultural and linguistic elements, I was in the mind and setting of the characters with these important additions. They could’ve been overlooked but really made the story come alive.
Fourth, the single lines of one proverb used as epigraphs for each chapter was an excellent way to build the story.
Fifth, the way each of the three women’s character’s were narrated matches incredibly well with their personalities. The distance we have from Dove, the determination and embodiedness from Petal, and the careful attention and calm from Moon met well with each narration. The one thing I might say I didn’t love about this novel in comparison to my read of Lady Tan was that the first person narration of Petal and Moon definitely brought a clear “novel” distinction in my mind. I was not able to immerse as well into the book.
Sixth, the ending was so nice. Grievous and haunting but the building of families and the survival and determination of this family of three women was redemptive.
Seventh, women. Wow. The things women have endured for centuries. I found myself comparing to Lady Tans Circle. Lisa See’s centering of the very people who were invisible, born worthless, in both stories led to a common plot thread playing out. Women, whether by innocence, ignorance, or naivety, are thrust into a new setting, besieged by challenges are eventually instrumental in saving, avenging, outdoing men. And yet, that is not the point. It’s not a reduction of the men. Rather an elevation of the value of the women. And in the end, the value of female friendship as a lifeline and buoy in the midst of pain, despair, hardship.
I can’t help but think of the many hopeless, destitute, forgotten women who lived and died in circumstances like these throughout history. Truly something to mourn. And yet, the glimmers of hope throughout this book (while crafted for a good story) remind me that “there is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”.
Okay. First off Lisa See does her RESEARCH! This woman! She’s amazing.
Second, this book is very heavy. A historical era that I have not read…. anything? about. I have a small inkling of something but I think it was a miniseries I watched once. Death, prostitution, rape, murder, slavery of a kind I didn’t know happened but should have.
Third, I loved reading the idioms, proverbs, and culturally significant phrasing that she used throughout. Though I am not Chinese nor familiar with many cultural and linguistic elements, I was in the mind and setting of the characters with these important additions. They could’ve been overlooked but really made the story come alive.
Fourth, the single lines of one proverb used as epigraphs for each chapter was an excellent way to build the story.
Fifth, the way each of the three women’s character’s were narrated matches incredibly well with their personalities. The distance we have from Dove, the determination and embodiedness from Petal, and the careful attention and calm from Moon met well with each narration. The one thing I might say I didn’t love about this novel in comparison to my read of Lady Tan was that the first person narration of Petal and Moon definitely brought a clear “novel” distinction in my mind. I was not able to immerse as well into the book.
Sixth, the ending was so nice. Grievous and haunting but the building of families and the survival and determination of this family of three women was redemptive.
Seventh, women. Wow. The things women have endured for centuries. I found myself comparing to Lady Tans Circle. Lisa See’s centering of the very people who were invisible, born worthless, in both stories led to a common plot thread playing out. Women, whether by innocence, ignorance, or naivety, are thrust into a new setting, besieged by challenges are eventually instrumental in saving, avenging, outdoing men. And yet, that is not the point. It’s not a reduction of the men. Rather an elevation of the value of the women. And in the end, the value of female friendship as a lifeline and buoy in the midst of pain, despair, hardship.
I can’t help but think of the many hopeless, destitute, forgotten women who lived and died in circumstances like these throughout history. Truly something to mourn. And yet, the glimmers of hope throughout this book (while crafted for a good story) remind me that “there is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2026
“…together we are daughters of the sun and moon.”
Lisa See’s Daughters of the Sun and Moon blends historical fact and fiction to tell the story of three very different Chinese women whose lives intertwine in the nascent town of Los Angeles during the late nineteenth century.
Told in five parts, each introduced with a historical photograph and newspaper article, the story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Petal, Dove, and Moon, with events taking place primarily over the course of about a year.
Petal is eighteen years old when she arrives in Los Angeles in 1871, having been sold by her starving peasant family in China and then auctioned off to become a “woman always holding up her legs”—an indentured prostitute.
Seventeen-year-old Dove, with the cruelly bound feet that mark her as beautiful and refined, has been sent to Los Angeles to become the second wife of a much older, wealthy merchant.
In 1926, octogenarian Tong Yu, known as Moon, recalls the arrival of Petal and Dove, whom she meets when they are brought to the office of her husband, Dr. Chee Long “Gene” Tong, a respected practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine.
The three women reside in Calle de Los Negros, the neighbourhood to which the roughly 178 Chinese immigrants, including just 34 women, living in Los Angeles are largely confined. Their stories, based on the lives of real women, are fascinating and heartbreaking examples of courage and resilience in the face of traditional expectations, disenfranchisement, misogyny, and racism. See writes candidly about their harrowing experiences, and it is not easy to read of the loss, violence, and trauma Petal, Dove, and Moon endure. Yet somehow these women cling to the slim thread of hope that the freedom, love, and justice they desire will one day be theirs, largely because of the support and solace they find in one another.
The pivotal event in Daughters of the Sun and Moon is what became known as the Night of Horrors, a riot triggered by a rivalry between two Tongs that resulted in nearly 500 white and Latino Americans descending on Calle de Los Negros. With a population of around 5,000 people and barely a handful of police, Los Angeles in the late nineteenth century was a rough, almost lawless town rife with violence, corruption, and anti-Chinese sentiment. On the night of October 24, 1871, the mob ran unchecked, destroying property, committing numerous assaults, and, most grievously, lynching at least fifteen Chinese men and boys, while several more Chinese residents were shot or beaten to death.
Rich in historical detail and populated with memorable characters, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is a challenging and powerful novel of friendship and survival in the face of tragedy, which I recommend.
Lisa See’s Daughters of the Sun and Moon blends historical fact and fiction to tell the story of three very different Chinese women whose lives intertwine in the nascent town of Los Angeles during the late nineteenth century.
Told in five parts, each introduced with a historical photograph and newspaper article, the story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Petal, Dove, and Moon, with events taking place primarily over the course of about a year.
Petal is eighteen years old when she arrives in Los Angeles in 1871, having been sold by her starving peasant family in China and then auctioned off to become a “woman always holding up her legs”—an indentured prostitute.
Seventeen-year-old Dove, with the cruelly bound feet that mark her as beautiful and refined, has been sent to Los Angeles to become the second wife of a much older, wealthy merchant.
In 1926, octogenarian Tong Yu, known as Moon, recalls the arrival of Petal and Dove, whom she meets when they are brought to the office of her husband, Dr. Chee Long “Gene” Tong, a respected practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine.
The three women reside in Calle de Los Negros, the neighbourhood to which the roughly 178 Chinese immigrants, including just 34 women, living in Los Angeles are largely confined. Their stories, based on the lives of real women, are fascinating and heartbreaking examples of courage and resilience in the face of traditional expectations, disenfranchisement, misogyny, and racism. See writes candidly about their harrowing experiences, and it is not easy to read of the loss, violence, and trauma Petal, Dove, and Moon endure. Yet somehow these women cling to the slim thread of hope that the freedom, love, and justice they desire will one day be theirs, largely because of the support and solace they find in one another.
The pivotal event in Daughters of the Sun and Moon is what became known as the Night of Horrors, a riot triggered by a rivalry between two Tongs that resulted in nearly 500 white and Latino Americans descending on Calle de Los Negros. With a population of around 5,000 people and barely a handful of police, Los Angeles in the late nineteenth century was a rough, almost lawless town rife with violence, corruption, and anti-Chinese sentiment. On the night of October 24, 1871, the mob ran unchecked, destroying property, committing numerous assaults, and, most grievously, lynching at least fifteen Chinese men and boys, while several more Chinese residents were shot or beaten to death.
Rich in historical detail and populated with memorable characters, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is a challenging and powerful novel of friendship and survival in the face of tragedy, which I recommend.
June 12, 2026
I have enjoyed this author in the past & this newest novel was no exception. Her stories are usually difficult to read because she faces hard situations candidly & lets you know how difficult it is to be a woman in various time periods. This one is set in 1870's Los Angeles, about 20 years before her own great-grandparents moved to LA, as told in On Gold Mountain. The story leads up to the Chinese Massacre of 1871 & involves three very different women who are thrown into each other's paths. They become allies & later, unlikely friends, as they try to navigate this hostile environment & still feel valuable & happy. The three women are fascinating characters & I found myself drawn into the story. It's a very good read with some horrifying aspects.
June 29, 2026
This book was such a powerful historical fiction novel. It took place in the late 1800s to the early 1900s as Los Angeles was being established as a major city. Ive heard and read many stories about slavery and how Africans were treated in early American history. This is the first book I’ve read about how Chinese immigrants and especially women were treated. Reading about the Night of Horror in 1871 was horrific. Three Chinese women came to California under very different circumstances. One was a doctor’s wife, one was a scholars daughter that was to become a second wife to a businessman and the third was brought as a prostitute. The unlikely trio undergo numerous tragedies, but become stronger together. Excellent book!
June 28, 2026
4.5⭐️
This story follows three Chinese women, Dove, Moon, and Petal, who all immigrate to Los Angeles but come from very different backgrounds. Their lives eventually intertwine as the novel builds toward the tragic Chinese massacre of 1871.
The book explores themes of prejudice, sexism, immigration, and sex trafficking while bringing an often overlooked piece of history to life. I especially appreciated that Lisa See included historical photographs throughout the book. The author’s note at the end was fascinating, particularly the discussion of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and all of the research that went into writing this novel.
This was a powerful historical fiction novel that left me wanting to learn more about this period of history.
This story follows three Chinese women, Dove, Moon, and Petal, who all immigrate to Los Angeles but come from very different backgrounds. Their lives eventually intertwine as the novel builds toward the tragic Chinese massacre of 1871.
The book explores themes of prejudice, sexism, immigration, and sex trafficking while bringing an often overlooked piece of history to life. I especially appreciated that Lisa See included historical photographs throughout the book. The author’s note at the end was fascinating, particularly the discussion of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and all of the research that went into writing this novel.
This was a powerful historical fiction novel that left me wanting to learn more about this period of history.
July 6, 2026
2 ⭐️ It pains me to write this review ( I’m obviously in the minority here) because Lady Tan is one of my favorite books. I could not connect with these characters and I was just plain bored. I felt like nothing happened for 250 pages. Sorry- still love you Lisa See
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