I have been a fan of Lisa See since On Gold Mountain, so I was excited to receive a review copy of China Dolls before the book came out last year. Of course my enthusiasm failed to translate into a prompt reading and review of the book, but what can you do? See’s career took off with On Gold Mountain, the fictionalized history of her own pioneering mixed-race Chinese-American family. Her novels, generally historical fiction either set in China or dealing with Chinese-Americans, tend to focus on forgotten or ignored bits of history from a feminine point of view. In these historical and cultural contexts, she explores themes of ethnic and female identity, and relationships among women. China Dolls is a story about Asian women in American show business in the early part of the 20th century. Read More
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