A WWII saga in the heart of the world’s most decadent city in 1936. Enter the Paris of the East, where one man and one woman strive to hold on to their dreams as the Communists rise and the shadow of Japan closes in.His country stood on the verge of a new beginning and the gate of hell. The Kuomintang promises the dawn of democracy, but the Communists threaten civil war while Japan’s unbridled … war while Japan’s unbridled ambitions loom.
All Clark Yuan wants is to see his fellow countrymen’s lives improve. He joins the KMT, hoping to play his part to make China a better place. He vows to Eden, the beautiful Jewish girl he admires from afar, Shanghai would be her forever home.
But power and money are at stake. The line of good and evil shifts. To achieve his ends, he must bargain with the devils. How much of his soul would he sacrifice to reach the greater good?
Fleeing the rise of the Nazis, Eden Levine came with her family to Shanghai, hoping to build a new life.
The dazzling city made her swoon. From the pinnacle of luxury, big band jazz, to a safe haven for Jewish refugees, the country that turns no one away is the beacon of hope. But behind the glitz and glamour, the darkness of human nature lurks.
A heinous crime shocks the international community.
Would she defend an innocent Nazi soldier and risk the ire of her own people? With only her new friend Clark by her side, could she defy the clutch of racial strife to see justice prevail?
“I dream of a day when all nations’ flags would fly in unity of peace. I dream of a world where no law or human divide would stop two people from falling in love.”
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From the author of the Rose of Anzio series, don’t miss this sweeping WWII tale of love, loss, and hope during one of the world’s darkest hours.
** One of Hidden Gems’ Best Books of 2018
*** Third place winner of the Asian Book Blog’s Book of the Year of the Dog 2018
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Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy by Alexa Kang is the first book in the trilogy. I love reading historical fiction because there is usually a good story that goes with learning a bit about history. This story is set in Shanghai and tells the story of Clark and Eden. Clark has been in school in America and has come home and wants to make his country a better place. Eden is a Jewish refugee whose family has found their way to China. The two are good characters and get drawn into each other’s lives. I found the story interesting. I have always had an interest in this time period and the setting is different from many novels. At times I felt drawn in and could imagine where the characters were located. I enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to seeing where the story leads.
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy Book One by Alexa Kang as an amazing historical fiction read that had me not only hooked, but learning things I never knew occurred during the second world war.
My first read by this author and with a genera way outside my normal comfort zone, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m happy I gave this book a chance. I was hooked not from the first chapter but by intro. I got lost in the past and I was so captivated that before I knew it, the book was at the end and I was left with a bundle of emotions that I can’t seem to find what to do with them.
This was more then a star crossed romance, it had mystery, twists, turns and what it means to to try and keep your soul when the devil is breathing down your neck. The writing was smooth, the tone starts out sweet, a little nostalgic, but as Clark moves through the story and the elements change the tone slowly changes with it. It was weird, I could almost hear music playing while reading, matching all the different tone shifts and plot developments.
Overall this book is a must read, and if you’re like me and don’t read historical fiction, or at all, take my super high recommendation that this book will change your mind. If Alexa Kang’s books are anything like this one, I will be going back and getting my hands on them.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
Shanghai Story by Alexa Kang is the first book in her WWII Drama trilogy. A story of love in a tumultuous time this is a heartwarming emotional book.
Forced to flee their home Eden and her family take refuge in China, hoping that they can turn their luck around.
However their hopes are quickly dashed when, instead of a new, quiet life they find themselves shocked by a crime that reverberates around the community.
With her new friend Clark by her aide, Eden risks everything to try and bring the truth and justice to everyone. Will she be able to find the truth? Or will she have risked everything for nothing?
I found this book to be deeply emotional. A great new perspective on stories set in the war this book delves deep into a time, and issues, that are still felt strongly today. The characters were well written and I found myself engaged in their lives, wanting to know what would happen. I am definitely looking forward to the rest of this series.
Historical Romance are hit or miss with me and Shanghai Story by Alexa Kang was a Hit! I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy. Trilogies are my favorite type of series too because they tend not to drag on and get filled with filler and random side stories.
Kang has incredible talent, this isn’t a few chapters before bed kind of read, this is once you start you can’t stop so if you start late night, I hope you can run on no sleep!
I was literally engaged from begining until end. The pages flowed seamlessly and the suspense kept me from ever putting it down.
This is a must read for any historical romance lover.
5 out of 5 stars!
Shanghai Story is my first book by Alexa Kang – and let’s just say that it was an interesting read.
We are introduced to Eden – a Jewish refugee in the World War II era, with Clark Yuan – a Chinese. The story itself was incredibly entertaining and it captured my attention from the moment that I started reading the book. The journey that both Eden and Clark have to go through is one of intensity. With all of the turmoil that happened during that time – it was actually refreshing to hear and read about it in such a way.
I definitely enjoyed the character development that was carried, as well as the storyline. I would definitely consider this a 4 Star Book!
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy by Alexa Kang is told from a different perspective of the second world war, with many interesting facts. This is the story of Clark, a young Chinese student and Eden, a Jewish refugee. They meet in the city of Shanghai, they both realize they have to navigate the old and the new. Shanghai Story is well written and takes you on a different journey through World War II. Ms. Kang makes you feel like you are right there with characters. The characters are very believable and easy to connect with. Her writing flows and keeps you engaged. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy Book One
By: Alexa Kang
5 out of 5 stars
The book Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy Book One by Alexa Kang is a historical fiction story. It is the first book that I have read by the author and I enjoyed it. While there are a lot of stories about Germany and Japan during the same time period this is the first one I have read about China and Shanghai. The book follows the characters of Clark Yuan and Eden Levine. Clark is a man that is returning to Shanghai after finishing school abroad. He finds himself wanting to help in bettering the lives of his fellow countrymen. He soon finds himself in a job where money and power are more important than enriching lives. How far will Clark be willing to go when asked to take actions that he never thought he would? Will his view of good and evil change? Clark’s character makes a lot of changes to his life and thinking from the beginning to the end of this story. However one thing that never changes is the way that he feels about Eden. Eden is a woman who has fled with her family to Shanghai to escape the Nazi’s. One of the things that I really loved about Eden is that she wants to embrace the culture in which she now lives. Her character does a lot of growing in this story. She finds herself pursuing justice for a man that everyone else has labeled guilty. One thing that doesn’t change is her attraction to Clark. Both Clark and Eden live in a time where there are difficulties that are brought on by racial and cultural differences. Money and power are what matters and if you don’t have either your quality of life is lower. Corruption is rampant. The relationship between an interracial couple is looked down on. Will the society that they live in quash any chance of them acting on their feelings for each other or will Clark and Eden walk their own path together? This is the first book in a series and I look forward to reading the next one. It is a well-written story that you won’t want to put down until the end.
Written by Alexa Kang, this was a new author for me. Taking place in China during WW2 it gave me new information about the war that I had never known. I didn’t know that the Germans or Japanese wanted to take over the country or that China had no restrictions on who they let into the country and they allowed thousands of Jews who had fled Germany into China when other countries would not, including the US and Britain. I enjoyed this book and the romance part was good but did not overwhelm the story. Eden and Clark met accidentally and there was an instant attraction. He was Chinese and came from a wealthy family, she was Jewish and had only been in China for a few months. Her father is a doctor and treated her father on a recommendation from a friend. When Clark goes to their apartment to give a thank you gift for what her father had done they meet and want to know each other better. Chinese customs do not allow them to marry. They become friends and as things happen he helps her out of trouble several times. He takes her to see his city and she is suprised by the different classes. She finally gets a job as a reporter for a newspaper and prints the truth. This gets her in big trouble.
This book is a trylogy and I am really looking forward to the next book. I read that it will come out in September. Please read this one. It’s good especally if you have an interest in historical fiction .
Shanghai Story by Alexa Kang is the first book in the WWII Drama Trilogy. This story is full of interesting facts that I was unaware of and fascinating characters that I came to care about. This story follows Clark and Eden. Clark is a Young Chinese man who has been studying in America and Eden is a young Jewish woman who is fleeing the rise of the Nazis. Their romance is slow to build and it is only one of multiple storylines that are woven throughout this book. The plot is filled with twists and turns and I enjoyed it even though I don’t usually read historical fiction. This book is definitely worth a four star rating and I look forward to reading the rest in the series.
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy Book One by Alexa Kang
4 out of 5 stars,
I rarely reach for historical novels as I tend to find things wrong and I end up fact checking the author, however, it was the complete opposite with this book. I learned many, many things about this book and about the migration of the Jewish people into China during wartime. The love story of Clark and Eden is both dramatic and simple. You will have to read it to seem what I mean regarding that statement but I adored their relationship, I was a bit confused with Clark and his involvement with a secret government super spy mission, which for me, did not add much to the plot of the story, but did develop more in the way of adding depth to Clark’s character. I loved this book and recommend it.
Epic historical fiction! Hands down an absolutely riveting page turner. I love this genre and was so glad this book found its way into my hands. Engaging from page one you will have a hard time putting this one down and walking away before reading the story in its entirety. Alexa Kang is a new author to me and I look forward to reading more from this author and series. Two thumbs up!
This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed how she was able to take me on a journey of love, hope and loss. She took me on a journey of a roller coaster ride through one couples love in WWII. These characters are connectable and relatable. They were able to make me feel as if I was right there with them and easy to follow. The facts about WWII were interesting and added to the story to keep it engaging. I highly suggest this book as you just may see WWII as a different perspective.