This book is really interesting. Had a little bit of a slow start but it reminded me a lot of books with Asian characters that I’d read in the past, like How we disappeared and Island of Sea women. I’ll definitely be rereading this one 👌🏾

Goodness. That ending got me. I don't know how to review this--it is so emotional.

I love historical novels set in China. This really makes you realize how different things can be for every single person. How much some people are going through or have been through and you never know it. It makes you realize how people are so much a product of their past, and even their country's past. How history shapes you and your family and your culture.

I feel so heartbroken for Mini and her family and what they went through, knowing that those kinds of things really did happen to people. I am so glad for authors who are allowing readers a glimpse into what lives would have been like in the past and how that shapes the present and the future.

A huge thank-you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.

Unbound is the story of two women in two very different times, both in Shanghai. One is the story of Ting and the story of how she came of age in the 1970s and beyond. At the tail end of the Communist Revolution, her family has to acclimate to a new government in China and a new way of life. When her grandmother, Mini, comes back from America to visit, Ting learns the story of when Mini was a young woman beginning in the 1920s. The multigenerational nature of this story is reminiscent of Pachinko and the characters are just as resilient.

The timelines in which the book is set provides the perfect platform for learning about the tumultuous events that China has endured in the past century. We can see how the various classes were affected and how China has not been the same since. The story chronicles the arrival of Japanese soldiers as well as the Americans, after WWII. At the core, this book is about strong, competent women forging their own paths even in the midst of war and political upheaval.

Another great read for 2020 - a multi-generational family saga - Mini Pao lives with her parents and sister in pre-war Shanghai, with its nightclubs, bars and western influences. Her father working for the British Consulate, yet feeling like a foreigner in his own country. She rebels against the restricted traditional life that is set out for her,marriage, children, a home and becomes embroiled within the Japanese occupation of the city and it’s descent into communism with an eventual escape to the US leaving all that she knows behind.

Moving forward in time to the 1970s and Ting Lee, also living a life with restrictions during the Cultural Revolution & communal living, where neighbours are all to ready to inform on each other. She is captivated by a visit from her grandmother living in the US, the land of plenty and struggles with the life she has been forced into and that which she could have.

The stories between the generations are interwoven so effectively, occasionally I lost myself as to which story I was following. However an excellent debut novel by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers Greenleaf Book Group for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Unbound by Dina Gu Brumfield is a captivating read that is full of incredibly written characters. Unbound is a sweeping saga that shares what it is like to live in China between 1935 – 1980. Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC!

Unbound is a enchanting story of three generations of women in China , in and around the city of Shanghai . It follows two narrations, the story of Mini ( the grandmother) during the times of WWII and Ting ( the granddaughter) during the times of Various revolutions in China . The language is very simple , a little too simple for my taste so I was skeptical if I will enjoy it but as I progressed , I found myself completely invested in the storyline and the characters. There are various things which I loved about the book which kept me hooked throughout .

🐉 The story line of both the protagonists was intriguing , both of them very strong in their unique ways, their struggles ( both of heart and matter ) were very realistic.
🐉 The character building is very strong and I was completely invested. Although the society were shown to be patriarch ( true to its timeline) ; I loved the characters of the dads of both the protagonist. They wanted what’s best for their daughters and stood strongly against the society for their good.
🐉The book is a refresher of the political history of China as it spans from 1935 to 1985. It portrays how the lives of the protagonist were affected by the events like multiple wars, attacks by Japan , Mao’s revolutions and the modern communist governments. All events are vividly pictured in the novel . Some events were really sad and heartbreaking .
🐉This was my introductory book into Chinese culture through the description of food , clothing , traditions and their faith.
🐉 Some feelings like the anxiousness ling feels when she first goes into college or her first flight or her first time in America just stroke the right chord with me, very aptly portrayed.

Thanks to @netgalley for the review copy In exchange of an honest opinion. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. The review is up on my Instagram page and goodreads also.

Loved this story! Unbound is a dual time line, multi-generational story of three women caught up in the upheaval in China between the 1930’s-1980’s. The story is told by Ting, and her grandmother Mini.

Mini was raised in a middle-class family in Shanghai, China and came of age in the early 1930’s. Her father was very forward thinking for the time, worked for the British consulate, taught his daughters English, sent them to missionary schools and let them think and make decisions for themselves. A man ahead of his times perhaps, but decisions made throw Mini and her family into the turmoil of the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, the end of the war, and then the revolution.

Ting, the granddaughter, is born during the Cultural Revolution, a very dark period in China’s history. She doesn’t even know she has a grandmother who lives in America until her mother announces that she is coming to visit. Why does grandma live in America and why doesn’t mother speak about her? I’m not going to spoil the story for you, but just an amazingly told story, and the relationships that develop between the women after they’ve been torn apart by the tragic events of history are beautiful.

This was a beautifully told story. The author is from Shanghai and lives in the US, so she is writing what she knows. I enjoyed the people being the focus of the story and not the tragedy of history that can sometimes come across in historical fiction. I was an exchange student to Japan in college in the late 1980’s before Tian’amen Square, and there were quite a few students from mainland China. They would have been about the same age. I even had a friend at the time from Shanghai who lived in my dorm. Reading this story really helped me understand what these students had gone through growing up.

I’ve already recommended this book to so many people! If you are interested in China, historical fiction-especially 20th century, or a good mother-daughter story, this is it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very good book detailing life in pre-Communist Shanghai, living through 3 generations of women. The challenges faced by the different generations of women provide rich historical fiction. Sensitively written and recommended.

The story takes place in Shanghai in the 1930's and and 1980's. Dual timeline. One major family with seven main characters. You will read about each of their lives through the sister Ting. The title UNBOUND truly reflects the lives of these characters. There is love, you will feel the strength of the women, compassion, horrible hardships and last the gift of survival and acceptance. You will become a part of the story as you are reading. I love that about historical fiction...becoming part of the story. Not giving anything away, you will be glad of the ending.

An intense look at Chinese life in the 1930s - 1980s. It is a reminder great to look at historical context before making character judgement based on 2020 ideals. It was a bit hard to get through, and I often wanted to stop and take a break when I could tell that a decision a character made was going to have terrible repercussion. It was kinda like reading the Titanic. You know it is going to sink but you keep hoping it will make it anyway. Worth reading, but not a lighthearted book to take to the beach. It is a fresh look at gender/socioeconomic/race relations from a non-western perspective.

This was set in two different very interesting time periods, the later one being the period when my mom was a teenager and young adults in China. I've heard many stories and I'm sure she would've enjoyed reading this book also. I did find the end of the story rather abrupt however. I found the overall experience of reading this story very enjoyable, and I felt like I am somehow able to connect with the characters.

UNBOUND is author Dina Gu Brumfield's riveting debut novel that transports readers to pre-war Shanghai and Mao Rule. This family saga concludes in 1989, as one woman's journey begins. It is a devastating glimpse into lives that are faced with the uncertainty of war and revolution. In a country that has little regard for the birth of a daughter, women are forced to make difficult sacrifices. Gu Brumfield creates a heartbreaking story of cultural tradition and family loyalty. The characters are stoic, real, and determined. I truly liked everything about the writing, the location, and the historical aspects. It's a convincing tale of conflict and resolve. Well done!



*Many thanks to Greenleaf Book Group Press and NetGalley for the e-galley. Opinions are mine.

This story are told from Ting and her grandmother, Mini point of view. Ting had no idea that she had a grandmother who lives in Hawai until they got a news that she going to come and visit them. I think Mini's era before and during the the war is more interesting than Ting's era. You can see what Mini and her family been through during those hard times. Mini told her life story whenever she return to China to visit Ting so I keep waiting for her to continue her story.


It was an interesting story and the characters were interesting too. But there are unfinished part and so it's kinda disappointing phewww

Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for Unbound ARC!

This multi generational story of a family of women in China goes through the British, Japanese occupations, WW2, communism and up to almost the present day and the historical detail is impressive. I saw it took the author ten years to write and I can see why.

At times this was unbearably sad and the challenges that women have faced throughout time (different, but still in many ways the same) was something to reflect on.

Minor improvements for me would be that there were some bits that were slower and some of the minor characters could've been explored more such as Ting's dad - he seemed quite progressive compared to other men of the time, Mini's husbands and Ting's dorm mates.

Historical fiction is my favourite genre and this book certainly did not disappoint. Unbound is set in Shanghai, China and revolves primarily around Ting and her grandmother Mini who lives in Hawaii. Mini travels to Shanghai to spent time with Ting and her mother during the 19702/1980s communist era China, and while there recounts her life spent in Shanghai during the 1930s and 1940s. We learn a lot about communist China in this book and it seems just as unappealing as I expected. It was very enlightening actually. The story is told from both perspectives but mainly from Mini's and one begins to marvel at her strength and resilience. We learn about her family members too and how much they endured in the past and in particular during the Japanese invasion of China. The multi-generational aspect of this book was engrossing. It pulled me right in. I enjoyed this novel a lot and learned so much from it.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked it's attention to details, I enjoyed the voices (both characters and authoral). This is not a quick read, I think it's the best when you have time and can go about it slowly.

This historical fiction is set in Shanghai...a multigenerational story, one that starts in 1935 wherein we first come upon Mini Pao, the grandmother who grew up before the Communist revolution. In 1975 we find Ting, the granddaughter growing up in Communist Shanghai as well as Jing Ling, Ting's mother. Up until a visit from her grandmother, who now lives in Hawaii, Ting had no idea she had a grandmother... of course she wants to know everything about her. This story, while it is told through these women, it is actually more of Mini's story. Her background, with her father working for the British consulate, was a bit less traditional than most Chinese families. Shanghai in the 30's/40's was a lively city, its citizens looked down their noses at the peasants that lived in the country. Mini was an independent woman, living in a household where her father insisted she learn English, she was headstrong and insistent, she found love, she also found betrayal.

For Ting, living in Communist Shanghai she lives behind the wall of Communism, where the walls have eyes and ears, food is scarce, the living conditions poor. Ting's thirst for knowledge, the awe she has for her grandmother and the fact that she lives in Hawaii, and wanting to learn as much as she can about her grandmother's life is quite compelling. As Ting learns of her family's past, the hardships, the politics, she is filled with a growing sense of independence. The struggles both grandmother and granddaughter have, their independence and strong willed personalities, is woven into a book that cannot be put down.

As you read this book you see how China has changed from the 30's and into the 70's. How the country shook off its cocoon and emerged into the modern world. It is absolutely fascinating to learn the cultural differences between the East and West, how families relate to one another Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Do you ever read a book and realize how woefully uneducated you are in a particular subject? Dina Brumfield’s debut novel was that book for me and I fell right into the story and this very new world to me. I found myself asking a lot of questions and doing a lot of Googling to understand this fascinating point in history.

Set in Shanghai, China both before WW2 and after the Communist revolution, Unbound alternates in viewpoints between Mini Pao and her life in the glamorous city in the 1930s and Ting Lee, her granddaughter growing up 40 years later behind the iron curtain. Both women are strong-willed and yet at the same time, very much tied to and perhaps even held back by their families of origin and the constraints of their time periods and the culture. While Mini’s life and family falls apart in the face of the Japanese occupation and the effects of the war, she must decide whether to follow her heart and turn her back on her family in order to save herself. Forty years later, Ting Lee grows up in a communist compound with her parents, and marvels at her grandmother’s seemingly glamorous life in the United States, but she only knows half of the story.

Mini’s story unravels throughout the course of the novel and we as readers learn more as she tells her granddaughter, Ting, her family’s tragic story over several years and visits she makes to see her family in Shanghai. No family’s story is without some sort of heartbreak and Mini and Ting each face their own betrayals as they grow up in the ever-changing and evolving Shanghai. Both women struggle to set themselves apart from their family and make their own way, and ironically they both find that independence by leaving their families behind altogether and going to the United States.

I was riveted by the story that Brumfield weaves. It’s an epic, sweeping story and my heart broke for both women as they seemed to be thwarted again and again in their attempts to find independence in Shanghai. It was fascinating to see how much the city changes throughout the course of the novel and the many phases that Communist China went through just in the 70s and 80s. To be honest, I really had no idea what it was like behind the Iron Curtain in China at that time and found myself fascinated by the details included on how families lived and what the people were forced to wear. Brumfield paints an amazing portrait of a family at the top, their downfall, and how the next generation steps up to carry them forward into the future.

This book was received as an ARC from Greenleaf Book Group Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

At first, I did not know what to expect about this book and thought it would be a boring anthology about a grandma and granddaughter surviving Shanghai in the 20th Century all with the war up ahead. This book was actually filled with a lot of drama and conflict that I was able to glue my eyes to the pages and keep reading. Rejecting the path that was pre-set of Mini, she decides to break free and go for Romance all struggling to provide for her family being a struggling singer in the clubs of Shanghai. Now we have Ting, who inherits Mini's curiosity of cultural revolution and lands a job in the fashion industry and the American Dream and the trends her grandmother has set in the cultural phenomenon that her head can't help but be filled with knowledge. All of the information provided in the book was very informative and the story was very compelling.

We will consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we gave this book 5 stars.

This is an amazing, wonderful and illuminating book, set mostly in Shanghai between the 1930’s and late 1980’s. It tells the alternating stories of young daughter Ting, her mother Jing Ling, and stalwart, brave grandmother Mini, as well as other characters. The book narrative moved well and the story well-written but not floridly so, the first-time author Dina Gu Brumfield having been raised in Shanghai and not a native English speaker. The story is so compelling, though, that this doesn’t count in my opinion.

Having traveled to Shanghai including the Bund, environs and Suzhou, I was enchanted by the descriptions of these locales decades before I went and could easily envision them. They differed significantly from what I experienced. Most striking and important though, were the events in history such as the Japanese destruction and cruelty to Shanghai. This book perhaps is most significant in illuminating the struggles of the Chinese people under Mao and earlier, the Japanese, especially in Shanghai, even as the latter wielded destruction differently to the foreign concessions In Shanghai.

This was an amazing book and an important one, Chinese history being unfamiliar in most pre-college educational curricula. That is a shame, for there are significant lessons and effects to be learned. The effects of class warfare and totalitarianism portrayed here, set in an entertaining though sometimes sad novel, make it a compelling read.

Many thanks to #netgalley for an advance copy of this fine book. It is my hope that this author continues to write books set in China. #Unbound