China Dolls

I really really liked Lisa See's book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It was such a fascinating look into China during the feet binding era. I've read some of her other books and didn't like them. So, I thought I'd give See one last chance.

China Dolls is set in the United States spanning the 1930s-1980s. It's mostly a story about 3 women who put ambition and jealousy before their friendship. Throw in some sad history about the internment camps for Japanese during WW2. The novel shows the damage of war pretty accurately and discloses the harshness of early to mid century showbiz. Over all it's a good book and I was happy to see that Lisa see can write about more modern time Chinese.

The best I can say about the book is that it's a quick read and would be fantastic to take to the beach. It's just not great literature. It won't win any awards or be a best seller. But it is an interesting story with complex characters and a good read.