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Remembering Shanghai

A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels
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( 1,225 ratings, 143 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Remembering Shanghai is a captivating memoir that chronicles Isabel Sun Chao's journey from her opulent upbringing in Shanghai to her family's unexpected emigration due to political upheavals. Co-authored with her daughter Claire Chao, the book weaves together personal anecdotes and historical context, painting a vivid picture of a life interrupted and transformed. The narrative explores themes of resilience, nostalgia, and the enduring bonds of family.
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Format: Hardback
$6499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are intrigued by richly personal stories and historical journeys. It beautifully weaves the tapestry of a family's legacy amidst the cultural and political backdrop of 20th-century China. The narrative takes you through the complexities of identity and resilience, offering a deeply layered exploration of heritage and memory.

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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.

Publisher Marketing Prepublication buzz campaign Digital galley distribution on Edelweiss and NetGalley Trade advertising Target outreach to blogs and websites Social media influencer campaign Targeted online advertising Listing and pricing promotions run through GFB’s Aerio store Social media posts to support pre-order, book launch, and book reviews

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! 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 China's 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 realising that she will make it her homeβ€”and that she will never see her father again. She returns to Shanghai fifty years later with her daughter, Claire, to confront their family's pastβ€”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.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Remembering Shanghai by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao is praised for its beautifully detailed storytelling that transports readers to the vibrant worlds of Shanghai and Hong Kong. It is noted for its sparkling prose, elegant memoir qualities, and the artistic presentation of stories. The book is described as a visually rich feast with whimsical illustrations and evocative photographs, offering a poignant family saga woven with cultural insights and the evolving bond between mother and daughter. It has been recognised as a masterpiece and a valuable addition to the literature on life in Shanghai.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781954854031

Publisher: Girl Friday Productions

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 02 December 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Girl Friday Productions

Illustration: illustrations/photos

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 308

About the Author

Isabel Sun Chao was one of the last of her generation to experience the legendary β€œOld 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. Isabel’s 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 magazine’s β€œ500 Most Influential Asian Americans” and Hong Kong Tatler’s β€œWho’s Who in Hong Kong.” She graduated with highest honors from Princeton University and lives in Honolulu with her husband and a lovable chihuahua-pug.

Also by Claire Chao

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  • Remembering Shanghai
    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 China's 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...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Also by Isabel Sun Chao

View all
  • Remembering Shanghai
    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 China's 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...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

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