Hong Kong, 1941. Following the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, the wealthy Tang family flee to Hong Kong.

As the First Wife of the family, Mingzhu leads a sheltered – if lonely – existence overseeing her daughter Qiang and managing the household alongside her devoted maid, Biyu.

But when the Japanese army invade, the three women are scattered. Mingzhu is coerced into working for a Japanese captain. Qiang and Biyu escape the island, only to be forced into factory work then separated after an encounter with the East River Column Resistance fighters.

The longer the brutal occupation lasts, the more determined the women are to resist. And as war rages around the world, each is holding onto the hope that the other is alive.

My Thoughts:
This is a different kind of read for me, but I am trying to broaden my horizon with different genres. It is set in the 1940’s Hong Kong. It is all about the Tang Family who go to Honk Kong for a better life, each of them have their reasons, it was interesting to read about this era and how different it was back then especially for the country. It captivated me right from the beginning, it was not a book I thought I would enjoy as I thought it may be heavy going but I felt completely entranced by the story and the women who braved their souls. I also felt as though I learnt a great deal about this era. A fantastic and well thought out story.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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