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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The author researched the time and place thoroughly. She chose an unusual setting—China just before WWII—-and made it work beautifully! I was enchanted by the main characters. I felt I was part of the action. A wonderful, informative read!
I enjoyed this story very much. I read a lot of WWII books and this was a wonderful setting. I never knew that China had Jews go there during the war. I have Chinese friends so understand the difficulties with writing this. It is a job well done.
If you are looking for something that is different from most WW2 fronts, wow, jump in. I’m already into #2 in this trilogy (and happy that book 3 has just been released). This is a great story and Kang does a very good job with the characters and situations. She does lean on some exposition. I prefer books that take me away with the story and allows me to figure things out by dripping things in. Kang is on mission. She wants to create strong awareness of the Asian side of the war, and she does this with compelling characters, surprising twists (to me, anyway) and all while delivering a satisfying read!
The intricacies of corruption in China can leave one’s head spinning. From financial support to tradition, escaping the chains of war was impossible. For the Jewish families who fled Hitler’s Germany, cultures collided. While Shanghai became a melting pot of ethnicity, the Chinese were oppressed in their own country. Bringing this history is to light is well done in this book. Even though the end sets the tone for the next book in the trilogy, it was weak.
The story educates one on the history of China. It is well written.
Shanghai Story is a new and refreshing genre of the Second World War. A young westernized Chinese student (Clark) and a Jewish refugee (Eden) meet in the city of Shanghai. Together they must learn to navigate the political fractions within the city and the age old divisions of race and tradition. As they trust in each other they come to realize that they must make their own way, a new way, which defies the old and embraces a new thinking. The history is vivid and the characters are believable. The book held my interest all the way through. I highly await the second book in the series and I would recommend this book to anyone.
I liked this book and author. It was right before the war and told how people reacted to going to war and beyond. Loved it!
Boring and writing not up to standard literature.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading Part II of this trilogy when it’s released this September. Highly recommend !
5 Star
Shanghai Story : A WW ll Drama Trilogy Story book One by Alexa Kang is a Historical Fiction Book.This is my first Book by this author and it wont be my last.I love historical books and this author did an amazing job of grabbing my attention from the beginning and kept it till the end. I felt like I was right there with these characters throughout the whole story. Im intrigued by history and this author did a great job and I learned a few things. I highly recommend this Book especially if you want to know what happens.
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy Book 1 by Alexa Kang is a five star novel. I love historical fiction. I also love World War II historical fiction most of all. I was never much into history when I was in school but since I’ve gotten older, it has all become interesting to me as long as I can read it like a story. This story is just one of those that will captivate you with the drama, suspense, and the intense historical impact that certain lives had on the era. Clark is a Chinese man who grew up with money and was able to study abroad in the US. He wanted to return to his home country because he thought he had something to offer the people in order to help China progress into the larger world. Shortly after his return, he meets Eden. Eden and her family has left Germany because they are Jewish and are no longer considered citizens. They knew they had no choice but to leave Germany in hopes to keep their family safe. The only place that would take them was China. With the political turmoil between the Nazis in Germany and the Communists in Japan, China is not really safe either. I cannot wait to read book number 2!
“A new page had begun. This time, the words on the page would be all his own.”
I really truly adore reading about the world from all perspectives during the Second World War. During the darkest of times for so many, many, many people, you see glimpses of humanity, love, peace, and compassion when you least expect it. I enjoyed the way Alexa Kang brought to life the scenes that you read within your mind. It was as if I was transported back into time and could taste the food, smell the air, and feel the fear and despair of each character. I also felt the love too. This is what kept me reading to find out what would become of the two main characters, Eden and Clark.
I will say it was hard for me to be really engaged with them though. I just felt like something was missing that I couldn’t really put my finger on it. I am not sure if it is just because this is very much a historical fiction so sometimes it reads as if it’s a history book more than a novel or if I just maybe didn’t find that connection otherwise.
Alexa managed to keep me enthralled enough however through the most dragging areas with the descriptive writing. Overall I wasn’t disappointed that I finished the book. I am however now waiting to find out what will come next for these two. We should be seeing two more installments in this series.
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy Book 1
By Alexa Kang
4 stars
This is the first book that I have read by this author and it isn’t the usual style of book that I read, however the author did such an amazing job with the story that I really enjoyed it. Her use of descriptive language about the setting was outstanding – it definitely enabled me to envisage what I was reading. My interest was definitely kept as I travelled through WWII following the love of a couple, Eden and Clark, it was great to read something with a different perspective of the war. I actually feel like I learnt something as well from reading this story! I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the trilogy and I can’t wait to immerse myself into this authors beautiful story lines.
I really liked the characters (Clark and Eden) but I struggled with the story and the historical details. I believe their circumstances and the love story had a lot of potential for the plot with all the drama and forbidden love that is going on but somehow it didn’t get me. Although this book is a novella and those one I usually read them in one sitting with this one it took me a while to finish it.
Shanghai Story: A World War II Trilogy Book One by Alexa Kang is something special. This book takes a very well known historic event and tells a story from a point of view I have never even thought of. It shows the harsh realities of the time whilst showing that even at the worst time love can still be found. The book is very well written, you don’t want to put it down.
Yaun Guo-Hui left to study in America, whilst there he adopted the name Clark. Clark is leaving America to go back to China to help run the family business. At this time China has an open border to any Jew who is searching for sanctuary, Eden is one of many who have travelled to safety. Clark and Eden quickly develop a chemistry between them but it’s far more complicated for them than they would like. The book leaves you hanging on the edge eagerly awaiting the next in the series!
Wow what a beautiful read i was pulled in from the very fast page and was held captivated throughout. I’m not usually into historical novels but I’m glad i read this one the author wrote in a way that your able to visualise everything and just get a true feeling of whats going on. The story certainly has twists and turns along the way and will keep you interested even if this isn’t your usual read just like myself give it ago .
Shanghai Story by Alexa Kang is the type of book I have not read in a long time. It is a luxury to sink into its pages and be transported to a different time and place. The writing in this novel was outstanding. I could see, feel and smell the beautiful city of Shanghai as it popped out of the page.
I enjoyed the two main characters – Clark and Eden. I thought they were well described and gave us differing points of view of the situation. Clark going back to his homeland full of pride and excitement but with perspective only gained from living abroad. Eden escaping the Hell of pre-WW2 Europe and hoping to find a new drama-free life in an enchanting new continent.
This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. It was filled with love of different types – love of country, love of religion, friendship and romance. I really enjoyed it and was turning pages quicker and quicker to see what happened next. Thank goodness there is a trilogy!
If you like wartime romances but want a different twist from the evil Nazis against the brave Europeans, then this is definitely a book I’d recommend to you.
Shanghai Story by Alexa Kang
Four Stars
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy is the first book in this series by Alexa Kang. This is the first story I have read by Ms. Kang, but look forward to reading the rest of the series. This book was a new genre for me and I’m glad I took the step to start reading the book. This book is filled with facts about China and Shanghai during WWII. The story flows and the descriptions are detailed. The main characters are likable and true to life, and 5his story follows Clark Yuan and Eden Levine. They are of totally different lifestyles and religions. The story had me hooked from the very first page. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next books in this series.
Shanghai Story: A WWII Drama Trilogy Book 1 by Alexa Kang is more out of my comfort zone than I had anticipated. It was recommended to me by a friend because I like books that educate me while telling a story at the same time. I’m super into romance novels, as well as crime/thriller/mystery/action novels, and I thought that by reading this, I’d experience a little bit of all of those while learning about the trials and tribulations of being a German immigrant in China, as well as being Chinese adjusting to the immigrants during the Hitler era. And in all actuality, there is a bit of all of that, but I felt like the politics leading up to WWII, and the impact on several ethnic backgrounds thrown into one Chinese community was the focal point of this story. I found it to be very sophisticated. It appears to be historically accurate, and I felt like I learned more about the relationship between China, Japan, America, and Germany, as well as corruption within the government in 1938 than I have ever learned in school and elsewhere. I also found I learned so much more about the Chinese culture than anywhere else prior to reading this. For the first time ever, what is in their dishes have been explained, and traditions such as matrimony have been explained, as well as Honorables, aka titles in the Chinese language. I loved that this book educated me, however in terms of excitement, intrigue, and heart-stopping, this book didn’t thrill me or grab my attention. One of the big sellers for me was the controversial topic of mixed relations between the Jewish and Chinese. I found the budding and questionable/unacceptable romance lacking several things, and without spoilers, I cannot explain any better. There are mystery and suspense, but again, it struck me as more political than action-packed. Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars, and I’m looking forward to reading what Kang releases next!
Shanghai Story by Alexa Kang
Four Stars
What a exciting story. Mr. Clark has been living in America for the last six years but now he is home. Though everything looks the same much has changed. So much tradition and culture was within this story that I felt like I was there in the mix of it. I love learning about others traditions and culture. I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. I loved how Clark found strength to do what he felt was right. No one should be forced to do things they don’t want tradition or not. The end was good because I could picture the fireworks. Murder, gangs and Americans made this story good. Shanghai is on the move towards change and no one know what will happen next.