Porcelain Moon, The

  1 Reviews

Pauline Deng refuses to entertain the possibility of an arranged marriage back in Shanghai - it is 1918 and she is happy enough helping run the family's antique business in Paris. To remain in France she will need the support of her cousin Theo, who has absconded to the countryside, translating for the non-combatant Chinese Labour Corps and befriending French woman Camille Roussel.

Alternating between Pauline and Camille, whose lives start to intersect in unexpected ways, this is the fascinating story of two women throwing off their shackles, set against the backdrop of the little known role of the 140 000 Chinese workers involved in the Great War.

Comments from BDS Reviewers

"I found this one of the most enjoyable books I've read for some time."

"Chang writes in an engaging manner, relaying complex information about Chinese life and antiques, as well as the conditions of the trenches in an evocative manner."

"The excellent research and the author's beautiful prose all make this a very satisfying read."

"This book is well worth reading, for its historical content, as well as for a fresh story."

"This book covers material that I have not read before about Chinese involvement in WWI. It also covers Chinese cultural material that is not often covered in fiction. The book has a strong female perspective."

"This book throws light on the plight of the approximate 140,000 Chinese men who were treated so poorly. While it is shocking it is beautifully written and an appealing read."

"The characters are sympathetic and largely believable and the story has pace."

Reviews

NELS 031

13-11-2023

All of us felt the last chapter was a quick tying up of ends, almost as if the writer thought she had written enough and needed to end the book quickly. Many of us did not know anything about the Chinese being in France and England in WWI and the work they did there, so the book was very insightful and informative.