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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Depictions of famine, death, and the violence of political persecution
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief romantic content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Profound suffering, loss of illusions, maternal sacrifice, and the psychological toll of historical horror
What this book is about
The sequel to Shanghai Girls follows Joy as she runs to China in 1957, idealizing Mao's revolution — and Pearl, her mother, who secretly crosses the border to find her. See's novel becomes a harrowing portrait of the Great Leap Forward and its famine, showing how quickly a dream can become a death sentence. Emotionally devastating historical fiction.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Depictions of famine and mass death
Political persecution
Intense emotional darkness
Reader Verification
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