Daughter of Shandong by Eve J. Chung
(2024) 400 pages

This book is probably one of the best books I have read this year. Daughters of Shandong, by Eve J. Chung, tells the story of a group of women, one mother and four daughters, who have been abused by their family just because of the fact that they are women, and how they are able to harness their courage and make the terrifying journey of escape to Taiwan during the Chinese Communist Revolution. This story especially called out to me because my family had gone through the same experience, where my great grandfather (and his other male friends and relatives) was forced to escape mainland China and leave his whole family behind in order to escape certain death. This novel does a superb job in weaving a complex and dynamic visual of what life was like back then, including the pressures of being a woman, the fear of being anti-communist, the economic strain that was infecting China, and the familial obligations that plagued every family. This book not only focuses on the historical context, but also moral lessons as well. Chung tells a story that shows to the reader that one act of kindness, no matter how small, can mean the world to someone and have an enormous impact. The fact that Daughters of Shandong is based on a true story as well is even more impressive and compels the reader to really think about what is happening in the novel. Overall this book is incredible, and I think it does a great job depicting what 1940/50s China was like during the Communist Revolution.