Many do not understand the atrocities that occurred as Mao Zedong came into power and created the People's
Republic of China. Eve J. Chung introduces 3 generations of the Ang family with many cultural insights. Cursed with daughters and no sons, a mother and her 3 daughters are left behind as Mao's cadres approach Shandong and the husband and grandparents escape to safer territories This novel is a powerful story of a mother's enduring love and the resilience of women under horrific circumstances. A thought provoking story as we consider the role these events have had on the creation of China today.

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book took me a really long time to plow through. It wasn't hard to get into. The writing is good. It's educational, interesting, entertaining, and moving. But it's also hard. As a white woman in the United States I've dealt with discrimination. But in my life and situation it was pretty much irrelevant. None of that discrimination actually prevented me from doing and being who I wanted. Partly because my personal passions and dreams lined up nicely with traditional American ideals about women. I had, of course, heard about the plight of women in China. But wow. This book makes it personal. I really wanted to quit reading it a few times. I was so angry on behalf of Hai and her family. The kind of anger that is so consuming that you don't want to feel it at all. But I couldn't stop reading it. I read it for Hai, and for the author's grandmother and great-grandmother. I read it for every female who has ever been taught that they were less valuable than their make counterparts. I wanted them to be seen, if only by me.

This incredible debut by Taiwanese-American lawyer Eve J. Chung doesn’t come out until May 2024, but I was able to get an advance copy and boy am I glad I did. Inspired by her family’s history, Chung weaves the fictional story of Li-Hai, the eldest of four daughters from the Ang family, wealthy landowners in the small rural town of Zhucheng in Shandong, China. The year is 1948 and even though World War II has officially ended, China is caught up in its own civil war between the current ruling party, the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists led by Mao Zedong. In a country still steeped in the Confucian ideal of “zhong nan qing nu” (“value men, belittle women”), Hai’s mother Chiang-Yue is treated worse than a servant in the Ang household due to her inability to produce a male heir (to say that Yue is “mistreated” is an understatement — in addition to suffering constant physical and verbal abuse at the hands of her mother-in-law, her husband also neglects her and never speaks up for her). In the eyes of the Ang elders, Hai and her sisters, being daughters, are considered “disappointments” and “useless mouths to feed” (their grandmother Nai Nai has no qualms about telling them to their faces that they are better off dead so the family doesn’t have to waste money on them anymore) — which is why, when the Communist army invades the town and the family is forced to flee, they decide to leave mother and daughters behind. Abandoned and left to fend for themselves, Yue and her daughters become destitute and penniless after the Communists seize their home and kick them out. Worse yet, in the absence of any Ang family males, Hai, as the eldest daughter at 13 years old, is chosen to answer for her father’s and grandfather’s “crimes” and is subsequently tortured to near death. With the help of former workers whom Yue had always treated kindly, mother and daughters escape to the city of Qingdao, where they hoped to reunited with the rest of the family. They survive the arduous journey to Qingdao, only to find out that the family actually relocated to Taiwan (where Chiang Kai-shek re-established the Nationalist base after fleeing China). Abandoned once again, the Ang women figure out a way to overcome the many obstacles they face, including enduring a thousand mile journey to Hong Kong and eventually finding their family in Taiwan.

The story is narrated in the first person from Hai’s perspective, which was the perfect narrative structure in this case because it made the experience more immersive and personal. In her Author’s Note (which is not to be missed), Chung explains the inspiration for the story, which was originally going to be a biography of sorts about her maternal grandmother, whom she had stayed with in Taiwan as a child. But after her grandmother died, she realized there were too many gaps in her grandmother’s life that she knew nothing about and regrettably had never asked, so she pivoted to turning the family history she was planning to write into a fictional story using the notes and interviews that she and her mother had already gathered. Basing the character of Hai on her maternal grandmother, Chung was able to fill in the gaps of her own family history, but more than that, for us readers, she delivered a beautifully-written story about a family of women who survive devastating heartbreak and hardship to resiliently rise above the entrenched cultural norms that bind them to inferiority within their society.

As a Chinese daughter myself, I resonated deeply with Hai and many of the struggles she went through in trying to reconcile her identity with her culture. While I didn’t share all of the experiences she went through, I did grow up under the same Chinese culture, so I was familiar with many of the antiquated traditions as well as the historical context in the story. Even with this familiarity, I have to admit that many of the scenes involving Hai’s POS (pardon my French) father and grandmother and their horrible treatment of the mothers and daughters in the family were hard to read. With that said though, this is actually where Chung’s story stands out from many of the other historical novels that revolve around Chinese culture and tradition — I appreciated the way that she succinctly and clearly lays out the facts of how women were treated during that time without mincing words. More than any other novel I’ve read in recent years (specifically ones written in contemporary times), this one does a great job exploring the internal battle that many of the women who grow up in these restrictive cultures face — despite understanding the injustices they suffer, they’ve internalized what they‘ve been taught to the extent that it not only becomes a “normal” part of who they are, they also oftentimes end up perpetuating these same injustices (whether intentionally or unintentionally) onto future generations. To this point, there were many thought-provoking quotes throughout the book (which I of course marked up), but the following excerpt stood out to me the most. In this scene, Hai (as an adult now) gets into an argument with her mother, who finally, after many years, gives birth to a son, Ming, to carry on the Ang family name (though ironically, this doesn’t alleviate the poor treatment that the mother continues to endure because the mother-in-law is already used to abusing her); Hai sees her mother giving her baby brother Ming a bottle of milk while she only gives her other daughter Hua (who was born right before Ming) a bottle of rice water — Hai is livid that her mother would continue to perpetuate the “preferential treatment of boys over girls” tradition after everything they suffered the past couple years precisely because they weren’t sons: “…Mom began to weep. “Hai, Ming is the only one who will support us when we are old. The only one who can care for us in the afterlife. I love Hua and all my other daughters, but I have a duty, as a wife, to make sure Ming grows up well. When you have your own son, you will understand.” She cried because she thought I was judging her unfairly, without realizing that her words had cut me deep. Mom hadn’t said it explicitly, but I heard it loud and clear: All of us girls were worth less than Ming. She loved us less than Ming. Yet Mom was confused by my anger, and oblivious to my pain. To her, the ancient traditions centering the son were our pillar, entwined in our religion, inseparable from our existence on this earth. Telling her I was hurt would be like saying I was offended by the typhoon that tore through Mount Davis. In her mind, these injustices were part of being a woman, and bearing them was simply our fate. Men made the rules in our society, but women often enforced them. Was there something about having a son that transformed us? Was that why Nai Nai was so wretched? Was that going to be me as a mother? I didn’t want it to be. After what I had been through, how could I fall into that same pattern?“ Arriving at this understanding becomes tremendously important for the characters in the story, which I won’t get into here (you will need to read this one to find out more).

Needless to say, this is a book I highly recommend, but with the understanding that it definitely won’t be an easy read. As with most stories about the travesties of war, this one has brutal scenes as it follows the harrowing journey of the Ang women through several generations, but the payoff at the end is well worth the read. This story (and its characters) is not one that I will forget anytime soon!

Received ARC from Berkley / Penguin Random House via BookBrowse First Impressions program.

This is a fascinating tale of China during the Mao revolution. The matriarch of a landowning family insists that her unwanted daughter-in-law and granddaughters be left behind to "guard" the family home while the rest of the family flees from the revolutionaries. These females have little "value" but they have grit. This is their tale of their survival and journey to reunite with those who deserted them. There is great material here for discussion.
Thanks to NetGalley for and eGalley of this title.

6 out of 5 stars!

I'll be impatiently counting down the days until the publishing date on May 7, 2024, because I want to buy a copy of this book for all my friends and family!

It's no secret that historically (and even now, to some extent), women in China held little to no value. A woman's worth is only measured by how many sons she can produce for her husband. In Daughters of Shandong, the Ang family was displeased that Hai's mother was only able to produce one daughter after the next, with four daughters in total. Despite being part of a wealthy household, the Ang girls and their mother were seen as "useless mouths to feed". So when news arrived that the Communist party was heading to their village to punish the wealthy, the Ang family left town leaving behind the mother, Hai (the oldest daughter), and her younger sisters under the pretense that a family member had to look over the property and that it would only be temporary (when in reality, the family left the women behind to fend for themselves). Things only go downhill from there.

When the Communists found out that the Ang men had fled, they punished Hai and made her stand trial on behalf of the family that had abandoned her, her mother, and her sisters. Beaten almost to death, the women realize that they had to escape and find safety amongst the family that had abandoned them.

This book left me feeling a range of emotions. It was such a moving and utterly riveting coming-of-age story about survival and generational trauma inflicted on Chinese women and families who fled China during the Chinese Civil War. This book also offers a powerful and insightful narrative of the strength and resilience of Chinese women.

The characters in this book were also incredibly compelling, layered, and well-fleshed out. The book is told from Hai's perspective, who, as the oldest child, has a strong sense of duty to protect her younger sisters and support her mother while also questioning her mother's unwavering loyalty towards the Ang family. From Hang's perspective, we're also able to see the strength and resourcefulness of her mother and sister, Di. It was very interesting to see that despite Hai's mother's meek and submissive nature, she was also very selfless and was able to make the necessary hard decisions to protect her daughters. I also loved Di's contrasting personality, who is cunningly resourceful and doesn't hide her clear resentment towards the Ang family.

I honestly have a really hard time believing this is a debut novel because I was completely captivated from the first few pages. As a woman of Chinese descent, the story and themes of motherhood and daughterhood in a Chinese context resonated deeply with me. The commentary on Chinese patriarchy and dismantling sexist traditions over the course of each generation is such an important issue to address, particularly within the Chinese community which is still steeped in antiquated Confucian traditions.

Although I don't believe my family was impacted by the Chinese Civil War (I believe my grandparents were already living in Hong Kong during that time, but I'll have to ask my grandma to confirm), I have heard many tales from friends whose parents and grandparents fled China with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Well, this book made me realize the true hardships that many families faced during the Chinese Civil War, the difficulties of living as refugees in Hong Kong, the amount of red tape to enter Taiwan, and most importantly, what it meant to be female during that time.

This book may be a work of fiction, but it was inspired by true events, was carefully researched, and the many social issues and hardships that the characters faced rang true to me. It's a book that will probably never stop thinking about and would recommend to everyone, but most especially to women of Chinese descent.

I received a copy of "Daughters of Shandong" from Netgalley. The author, Eve Chung, writes I historical fiction book that is based on her grandmother, Hai. It takes place in China starting in 1948. Communism is taking over China. Hai's family need to leave the place that was in her father's family for generations. Hai is the oldest of four girls {one named "Three" has died} Hai's mother is treated like dirt by their cruel grandmother who hates her for giving birth to all girls. Sadly in China, girls are considered lowly and worthless. When Hai's father and her grandmother flee the home and go to Taiwan leaving his wife and children behind, Hai's mother takes the remaining three girls ages, 13,12 and one to try and get to Taiwan to find her husband. this journey takes almost two years. during this time they starve, are at times, homeless. Hai herself is kidnapped and tortured when she could not tell the communists where her father was. This is seen through the eyes Of Hai who ages from 13 to adulthood.
I found this to be a well written book that shows how horrible it was for people especially women and children to try and survive while finding their way to Taiwan. i was impressed how brave and determined the characters were during a horrible time.

This was such a beautiful story. I'm a big fan of Chinese historical fiction, especially from this time period, and I hadn't read a similar story from this perspective of a landowning family.

Hai was a really well crafted main character and her entire family was great. Her mother was a frustrating but incredibly understandable character.

I would definitely read more from this author!

What a great book! The story of a mother and daughters escape to Taiwan.. based on the author’s family story. Detailed and emotional - about how daughters are considered a burden and a curse. Such a love story for and between mothers and daughters - loved it

I was compelled to read this story through to see what happened to this family.. I have read many stories of suffering and resilience but none as heartfelt as this. It gives a new meaning to what is family. I thought I had it figured out but didn’t even come close. We all must be who we are and not just what is expected of us. It was a fantastic read from beginning to end.

At times heartbreaking and uplifting, “Daughters of Shandong” follows the journey of the Ang family’s women from their farm in rural China to Taiwan during the horrific land reforms of 1948-1950. I was riveted from page one by a Mother and her daughters’ bond and will to survive in this story based on the author’s grandmother’s experience of these turbulent times, I highly recommend this superb work of historical fiction.

If you like strong women and historical fiction, this is for you.

Eve J. Chung manages to create a sweeping story about the power of survival and being a mother.

I loved this book and the ending and author note made me love it even more. It was heart breaking and sad to follow their story of struggle and survival, but also uplifting. I rooted for our MC throughout the whole book and wanted the women to feel worthy.

In 1948 China, Hai learns that a woman's worth is attached to having a son. Girls are mouths to feed and their work doesn't count as contributing to the household or offering any real value.

When China's civil war breaks out, the Communists start to take over, and they kill and torture landowners along the way. Claiming their land to divide among the peasants. When Hai's family flees, they leave her and her sisters behind with their mother.

Hai, the eldest child, is taken in place of her father and questioned and paraded like an animal in front of the village. She is stoned and beaten and almost loses her life. When they realize that they must flee too, it is almost too late.

Their journey is dangerous and full of challenges. They have no food and only the clothes they managed to escape with on their backs.

Follow along as Hai and her mother and sisters do everything they can to survive and make it to safety.

Thank you to netgalley and berkleypub
for an eARC to review.

Riveting, haunting historical fiction based on the true experiences of Eve J. Chung’s grandmother during the Chinese civil war following World War II.

Hai grows up in Shandong, in their traditional male-centric culture, the eldest worthless daughter of a mother who has produced no sons. Her mother is continually verbally and physically abused by her mother-in-law, forced to kneel for the slightest of perceived wrongs. And they all must toil all day to earn their keep, despite the Ang family wealth. When Hai’s father and his family flee before the advancing communists arrive, leaving behind Hai and her mother and sisters, Di and Lan, the discarded females are thrown off their property in the communist redistribution of land and forced to live in an animal shed. Hai is tortured, and the mother and her three daughters, the youngest still a baby, are forced to undertake a difficult and dangerous trek on foot across war-torn China, hoping to be reunited with the rest of the Ang family, who they eventually learn are safe in Taiwan. The story is spellbinding, the prose well-crafted, and the characters beautifully rendered—especially these resilient, resourceful Ang females.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this debut novel in exchange for an honest review.

As the Communist Revolution takes hold in Mainland China, a mother and her three daughters are abandoned by the rest of the family, who flee to escape the Communists. This story follows the mother and daughters as they travel through China, and ultimately to Taiwan, in an effort to find safety and a home.

This is an engaging and moving story. I kept reading and reading, wanting to find out more, and finished the book in about a day. The writing is filled with simple, well-drawn details that evoke daily life in China and Taiwan, and the narrator’s storytelling put me into the emotional world of the characters. It’s a story of love between mothers and daughters, and of courage, perseverance, and hope. Worth a read! I look forward to more from Eve Chung.

It was overly expositional for me, but the writing is easy to read and follow. I stopped after chapter 1 (4%). I’d expect three to four stars from the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

If I could give this book 6 stars I would: I loved loved loved this book.

This is the story of Hai, living in rural China during the communist revolution of the 1940s. Her father and grandparents fled China shortly before the communists took over, leaving Hai, her mother, and her two little sisters behind to watch the property, because as women and girls, their lives were far less valuable. This begins their horrific ordeal. They go from hiding in a freezing cold shed, to enduring unspeakable horrors from the communist army, to fleeing, walking hundreds of miles on bloody feet. And that’s only the beginning. They face malnourishment and illness, discrimination, violence, and more as Hai’s mother bravely forges on in the hopes of giving her daughters a better life. The fact that this story is inspired by the author’s own grandmother and great-grandmother makes it that much kore compelling. And the fact that this novel maintains its hopeful tone even as Hai and her family endure hardship after hardship is a feat. This story is going to stay with me for a long, long time.