The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel
What's It About?
It’s no secret that the Second World War has dominated the Historical Fiction scene for quite a few years.In such a crowded market, it’s difficult to find new approaches and new stories, but Weina Dai Randel manages to do just this in her sweeping saga The Last Rose of Shanghai (Lake Union). There have been few stories about the Jewish pogrom as well as the oppression of the Chinese in Shanghai as the axis forces clench control of the major port city. Randel expertly depicts this lesser-known slice of history with a sensitivity that comes from deep research and understanding of both the Chinese and Jewish cultures.
The narrative is split between the main protagonist, Aiyi, the young proprietor of a successful nightclub who is in an arranged engagement to her wealthy cousin, and Ernest, a German-Jewish refugee who seeks work in Shanghai to provide for himself and his sister. There are occasional leaps forward to 1980 as an elderly Aiyi tries to solve a mystery from her wartime past. Aiyi is fascinated by the talented Jewish musician and hires him to play in her club. Despite a violent reception into Shanghainese society, Ernest is determined to continue working to protect and provide for his younger sister, Miriam, after the tragic loss of his other sister and their parents. Aiyi and Ernest form a bond over their love of jazz, which soon develops into a romantic entanglement with numerous consequences for them both.
Aiyi and Ernest are both vividly drawn characters, both incredibly sympathetic from start to end, but the cast of secondary characters is equally compelling. From Aiyi’s controlling fiancé Cheung, to Sassoon, the bombastic British nightclub owner with a penchant for photography, each character Randel puts on the page is rich and well-formed. The novel reads at a swift clip, despite being a hefty tome, due to the short, punchy chapters that Randel favors as well as taut (though occasionally quite lyrical) prose.
IMPECCABLE ATTENTION TO HISTORICAL DETAIL
The research and historical accuracy of Randel’s work can’t be praised highly enough. It’s clear in the reading that every last detail is scrupulously researched, though she doesn’t weigh down the prose with unnecessary detail. Rather, she blends the historical minutiae into the tapestry of the narrative with the skill of a master embroiderer. Randel re-creates Shanghai for the reader with such lifelike descriptions, it’s easy to lose yourself in the seedy nightclubs and back alleys of the bustling seaport.
But, at its heart, The Last Rose of Shanghai is a romance. And it is the romance, sweeping, complicated, messy and intense, that carries the story. Randel makes us root for Aiyi and Ernest to survive and find some measure of happiness in a broken world in some form or another. Randel delivers unexpected surprises, numerous heartbreaks, moments of triumph and a satisfying conclusion. The Last Rose of Shanghai is not to be missed for anyone looking for a WWII novel that breaks conventions. Highly recommended.
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