China Dolls

A Novel

By: Lisa See

Narrated by: Jodi Long

Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A fascinating portrait of life as a Chinese American woman in the 1930s and ’40s.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Superb . . . This emotional, informative and brilliant page-turner resonates with resilience and humanity.”—The Washington Post (One of the Best Books of the Year)

San Francisco, 1938: A world’s fair is preparing to open on Treasure Island, a war is brewing overseas, and the city is alive with possibilities. Talented Grace, traditional Helen, and defiant Ruby, three young women from very different backgrounds, meet by chance at the exclusive and glamorous Forbidden City nightclub.

The girls become fast friends, relying on one another through unexpected challenges and shifting fortunes. When their dark secrets are exposed and the invisible thread of fate binds them even tighter, they find the strength and resilience to reach for their dreams. But after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, paranoia and suspicion threaten to destroy their lives, and a shocking act of betrayal changes everything.

©2014 Lisa See (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This is one of those stories I’ve always wanted to tell, but Lisa See beat me to it, and she did it better than I ever could. Bravo! Here’s a roaring standing ovation for this heartwarming journey into the glittering golden age of Chinese nightclubs.”—Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

“A sweeping, turbulent tale of passion, friendship, good fortune, bad fortune, perfidy and the hope of reconciliation.”—Los Angeles Times

“Lisa See masterfully creates unforgettable characters that linger in your memory long after you close the pages.”—Bookreporter

I love Lisa See - but I didn't love this

Would you try another book from Lisa See and/or Jodi Long?

Definitely.

If you’ve listened to books by Lisa See before, how does this one compare?

Not nearly as engaging.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Sure, it was fine.

Was China Dolls worth the listening time?

Yes and no. There were bits that were really good, but for the most part, it felt drawn out, repetitive and almost boring.

Any additional comments?

I truly have adored all of Lisa See's other books (not including the mysteries, which are a whole different thing). But this book just didn't have the same emotional and factual depth.

However, the last hour of the book was really good, much more interesting than the rest. Kind of made it end on a good note, at least.

A story that needed telling, but tough to read

Lisa See is, as always, an excellent storyteller. This book is well written and well paced. Chinese literature is rarely uplifting, and this book is no exception. That being said, the story is about an important time in U.S.history, and worth a listen.

its ok and just ok

Not one of lisa sees best books. I just was not connected to the characters. To me they lacked depth and I don't really understand why these women are friends. They shouldn't be in my opinion after all the constant back biting and back stabbing. I don't quite understand.

Great story!

I loved this book, but found it a difficult listen because the narrator doesn’t read the story, she YELLS the story.

Need a different reader!! Where is Janet Song??

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I couldn't listen to this book. I found the reader totally annoying and hard to listen to. I started this book three times but each time gave up. I love Lisa See books and have listened to all of Janet Song's recordings so was looking forward to this one. What a disappointment.

If you’ve listened to books by Lisa See before, how does this one compare?

The reader makes the audiobook and this reader was not the best choice

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Jodi Long?

Janet Song

Could you see China Dolls being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Never could get into the book so can't say.

Keeps you captured.

I couldn't stop listening until 3:30 am. And I had to work the next day. I live in San Francisco and I'm now looking into the history of these wonderful old places.

Listening Candy

What made the experience of listening to China Dolls the most enjoyable?

Listening to the book was a guilty pleasure. The first few hours were horribly boring, but I kept listening since I knew that a book written by Lisa See had to get better. The book can't be considered to be of the same quality as See's earlier works, but it got interesting--sort of like a romance novel.

Would you recommend China Dolls to your friends? Why or why not?

Most of Lisa See's books are packed with nuggets of historical information. This book has a few historical facts sprinkled through it. However, the scenes dealing with the Japanese internment and anti-Japanese sentiment especially resonated with me. I know very little about that period and realized that I need to understand more--if only to make sure that something like that never happens again.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Jodi Long?

Absolutely not. Jodi Long had a grating voice and didn't do a great job adding to the dimensions of the characters. Despite her voice, however, I was able to enjoy the audible book and recommend it to others.

Who was the most memorable character of China Dolls and why?

I didn't have a favorite character and there wasn't one more memorable than the others. In fact, Ruby, Grace, and Helen seemed to mature in ways that one wouldn't expect and didn't always seem credible. Their stories as a whole, however, kept the book interesting.

Any additional comments?

See is a phenomenal writer and she has great talent. She has the ability to write about parts of Chinese history that I never fathomed. And she also can skillfully develop characters. Unfortunately, her talent doesn't shine through in this book. To keep interest, she touches on many topics, such as Japanese internment, homosexuality in traditional Chinese families, children born to single mothers, friendships and feuds, and prostitution. I gave the book 4 stars, though, because it felt like a guilty pleasure to read it. Despite its downfalls, the story moved rapidly and kept me interested in it--even the parts that were quite farfetched.

Disappointing Performance

This story is pretty good, albeit somewhat predictable in many places. What I don’t like is that the reader feels the need to yell instead of speak with a tough demeanor when reading the part of Ruby. It was grating and made listening a bit difficult. Otherwise I did enjoy the book.

open the curtain!

I learned so much , cried and was horrified. This is an important book and the story is so well told. I did a lot of research to see can this really be true.. and yes it is.. History cant be changed however what we do today is tomorrows history so please include be kind and have empathy!

Interesting but ultimately unsatisfying.

I really have enjoyed several of Lisa See’s books. But unfortunately this was not one of them. It just lacked something that ultimately tied the story together to peak my interest. I feel like there is a line Between writing a story where the people feel genuine and writing a story where the people are just so normal it’s boring. That doesn’t mean that the characters didn’t have tragedy or interesting flaws but it just lacked something that made it seem more than just a book about three gossipy backstabbing showgirls.

Ultimately I would recommend this book to somebody that grew up in the 50s or during World War II. Because it seems like it is very true to how things were and how people thought back then. And honestly if you like catty female drama this is definitely for you. And there is no shame in that drama is enjoyable sometimes.

A note on the voice acting for this audiobook, it is pretty awful. In general the actress has an interesting voice, good diction and pacing, but she has one voice for everybody. That absolutely drives me nuts when a voice actor only has the ability to do one voice for females and one voice for males. At times it was hard to tell which characters were talking.