Another Lisa See moment of excellence. Most people in the group reads have said they do not like this book as much as Snowflower and the Secret Fan, but I think I liked it better. To me, Snowflower was a charming story that had all its parts & pieces neatly arranged as according to creative fiction rules. Shanghai Girls, on the other hand, felt much closer to the bone, and full of the inexplicable... like real life. Her understanding of her characters was profound and extremely satisfying.