Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Isabel

Description: Remembering Shanghai by Isabel Sun Chao, Claire Chao In the tradition of Wild Swans, this fully illustrated, multi-generational memoir is at once a thrilling journey and a dazzling time capsule of Shanghai during a period of dramatic political and cultural change. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description True stories of glamour, drama, and tragedy told through five generations of a Shanghai family, from the last days of imperial rule to the Cultural Revolution.A high position bestowed by Chinas empress dowager grants power and wealth to the Sun family. For Isabel, growing up in glamorous 1930s and 40s Shanghai, it is a life of utmost privilege. But while her scholar father and fashionable mother shelter her from civil war and Japanese occupation, they cannot shield the family forever.When Mao comes to power, eighteen-year-old Isabel journeys to Hong Kong, not realizing that she will make it her home - and that she will never see her father again. She returns to Shanghai fifty years later with her daughter, Claire, to confront their familys past - one they discover is filled with love and betrayal, kidnappers and concubines, glittering palaces and underworld crime bosses.Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, Remembering Shanghai follows five generations from a hardscrabble village to the bright lights of Hong Kong. By turns harrowing and heartwarming, this vivid memoir explores identity, loss and redemption against an epic backdrop. Author Biography Isabel Sun Chao was one of the last of her generation to experience the legendary "Old Shanghai" of the 1930s. She left China on a spring holiday in 1950, not realizing that she would never see her father again, nor that three decades would pass before she returned. Making Hong Kong her permanent home, she worked as a cultural affairs specialist in the US Consulate General while raising three children with her husband, Raymond. Isabel passed away in 2023 after a happy retirement spent mostly at the mahjong table.Isabels daughter Claire Chao sought connections to her parents homeland throughout her youth. After thirty years in management with companies such as Tiffany and Co., Harry Winston, and Hill & Knowlton, she spent a decade creating Remembering Shanghai, uncovering an uncanny link with the grandfather she never met. She has been named one of Avenue magazines "500 Most Influential Asian Americans" and Hong Kong Tatlers "Whos Who in Hong Kong." She graduated with highest honors from Princeton University and lives in Honolulu with her husband and a lovable chihuahua-pug. Review "Beautiful and rich, with fascinating details—transports the reader to Shanghai and Hong Kong . . . this volume is a treasure." —Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of Shanghai Girls and The Island of Sea Women"Sparkling prose and enthralling stories catapult you into the inner life and doings of Shanghais cultured classes." —Helen Zia, author of Last Boat Out of Shanghai"This elegant family memoir transforms, transfixes, and educates." —Pamela Rotner Sakamoto, author of Midnight in Broad Daylight"This memoir stands out for its creativity and artistry." —James Carter, author of Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai"A lovely jaunt to 1930s Shanghai." —Dori Jones Yang, author of When the Red Gates Opened"Mesmerizing stories; magnificent language." —Betty Peh-Ti Wei, author of Old Shanghai"Whimsical brush paintings and evocative vintage photographs are a visual feast for the reader and heightens the feeling of having fallen through time." —Alexandra A. Chan, author of In the Garden Behind the Moon"A volume that demands to be held." —Los Angeles Review of Books"An engaging and entertaining saga." —South China Morning Post"The authors have brought warmly and vibrantly to life their familys story of lowly origins, high office, austere scholarship, filial loyalty, vicious betrayal and fabulous wealth." —Asia Literary Review"An unexpected gem. A thoughtfully written story, accessibly and touchingly told—represents a valuable addition to the canon of accounts of life in Shanghai." —Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society China"A feast of winning elements . . . The icing on the cake is its warm immediacy, helped by the authors sunny dispositions and their storytelling skills." —Bookish Asia"A well-told tale that is by turns jaw-dropping, exciting, touching, tragic, and insightful." —Historic Shanghai"What distinguishes the story is the beauty of watching the bond between mother and daughter grow as they discover their often shocking ancestral secrets." —Literary Mama"This book is beautiful. . . Illuminating details and a lovely walk through culture, family and personal evolution, always with gorgeous settings and realism in voice and story." —Grand Prize Winner, Writers Digest Self-Published Book Awards"A work of art. . . driven by compelling storytelling and packed with fascinating details." —Book of the Year, Rubery Book Award"A masterpiece of storytelling and research." —Non-Fiction Winner, Indie Reader Discovery Awards Long Description True stories of glamour, drama, and tragedy told through five generations of a Shanghai family, from the last days of imperial rule to the Cultural Revolution. A high position bestowed by Chinas empress dowager grants power and wealth to the Sun family. For Isabel, growing up in glamorous 1930s and 40s Shanghai, it is a life of utmost privilege. But while her scholar father and fashionable mother shelter her from civil war and Japanese occupation, they cannot shield the family forever. When Mao comes to power, eighteen-year-old Isabel journeys to Hong Kong, not realizing that she will make it her home -- and that she will never see her father again. She returns to Shanghai fifty years later with her daughter, Claire, to confront their familys past -- one they discover is filled with love and betrayal, kidnappers and concubines, glittering palaces and underworld crime bosses. Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, Remembering Shanghai follows five generations from a hardscrabble village to the bright lights of Hong Kong. By turns harrowing and heartwarming, this vivid memoir explores identity, loss and redemption against an epic backdrop. Review Quote "Beautiful and rich, with fascinating details--transports the reader to Shanghai and Hong Kong . . . this volume is a treasure." --Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of Shanghai Girls and The Island of Sea Women "Sparkling prose and enthralling stories catapult you into the inner life and doings of Shanghais cultured classes." --Helen Zia, author of Last Boat Out of Shanghai "This memoir stands out for its creativity and artistry." --James Carter, author of Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai "A lovely jaunt to 1930s Shanghai." --Dori Jones Yang, author of When the Red Gates Opened "Mesmerizing stories; magnificent language." --Betty Peh-Ti Wei, author of Old Shanghai "This elegant family memoir transforms, transfixes, and educates." --Pamela Rotner Sakamoto, author of Midnight in Broad Daylight "A volume that demands to be held." --Los Angeles Review of Books "In a compelling narrative spanning turbulent centuries, the authors have brought warmly and vibrantly to life their familys story of lowly origins, high office, austere scholarship, filial loyalty, vicious betrayal and fabulous wealth." --Asia Literary Review "An unexpected gem." --Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society China "A feast of winning elements . . . The icing on the cake is its warm immediacy, helped by the authors sunny dispositions and their storytelling skills." --Bookish Asia Details ISBN1954854056 Author Claire Chao Short Title Remembering Shanghai Pages 308 Language English Year 2021 ISBN-10 1954854056 ISBN-13 9781954854055 Format Paperback Country of Publication United States Publisher Girl Friday Productions Imprint Girl Friday Productions Publication Date 2021-12-02 NZ Release Date 2021-12-02 US Release Date 2021-12-02 UK Release Date 2021-12-02 Subtitle A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels Illustrations illustrations/photos DEWEY 951.0420922 Audience General AU Release Date 2021-09-13 Alternative 9781954854031 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:133546952;

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