The Girls of Good Fortune started with intensity and had me hooked immediately. I knew I was going to enjoy Celia because I so enjoy strong women in the novels I read. But then came all the history about the massacre of so many Chinese. That is most assuredly an atrocity, but it was too much like textbook reading for me. The ending came together nicely and wasn’t in the least bit forced or implausible.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck." (Dalai Lama)

And in the case of our female lead character, Celia, good fortune that hasn't had time to bloom. It's 1888 in Portland and Celia finds herself as a maid and a parttime nanny in the home of the city's mayor. Under the historic circumstances, Celia does feel fortunate to have found that placement. It's an era in which the Chinese are looked down upon as inferior. Celia's mother was a missionary married to a Chinese man.

Ironically, thousands of Chinese men were brought to the United States for cheap labor to build the expanse of railroad heading out West. The Chinese Exclusion Act brought an end to bringing more Chinese into the country. Limited minds and bigotry had no reasonable solution to the unemployed Chinese. So the Chinese took to mining which is what Celia's father did. Celia sent money to him from her small wages.

As the story begins, we find Celia in a secret relationship with the mayor's son. Stephen promises to marry Celia after he completes medical school in London. Soon after, Celia finds herself with child. She's shown the door. Celia ends up at the Dew Drop Inn, a local bordello, run by a Chinese woman by the name of Marie. Celia will work as a housekeeper until the time that she gives birth to her daughter, Pearl.

The Girls of Good Fortune is a fast-paced novel of this era. The character of Celia is weaved with the threads of the appropriate time period while Kristina McMorris then injects a flow of a present time activist in Celia's veins. As the sole provider for her daughter Pearl, Celia takes outrageous chances with her fate and that of her daughter. She becomes emboldened to the point of dangerous encounters. Women were erased from this earth for lesser reasons. And Celia would leave Pearl to be brought up in a bordello. I see why McMorris wished to energize her character, but at the same time, her actions and adventures at times were certainly farfetched. I floated around 3 Stars at this point.

The writing reflected much research as evidenced in the Author's Note. I also enjoyed McMorris' Poppy's Story (2023) as well. It's still a worthy read even while experiencing a wide, wide berth of adventures in the second half of this book. I look forward to the next novel.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and to Kristina McMorris for the opportunity.

I really enjoyed this book, and found it very hard to put down. The main character was Celia, a mixed-race woman, with a Chinese father and white mother, who passes as white in Portland of the 1880s.
Celia is quite naïve – but in a good way. She always wants to see the best in people, and firmly believes in justice for all – whatever their status or race. She sees anti-Chinese racism all around, but is shielded to a certain degree by her Western appearance – provided she keeps her origin secret. However, the murder of her father and of other Chinese men (a true event) is not something that she can stay quiet about.
Despite the title, Celia goes through some very harrowing experiences, before finding her good fortune. Along the way she meets some who try to destroy her life, but also many who help her. Some have their own crosses to bear, and Celia has to reassess her own prejudices, as she expects people to challenge theirs: homosexuality, prostitutes, children born out of wedlock, the homeless, misogyny. First appearances are not always the most accurate.
At the end of the book is a chapter narrated by one of Celia’s grand-daughters, accompanied by her own grand-daughter. This is followed by a note from the author about her inspiration for the story.
I highly recommend this book.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.

This book reminded me of a Womann of Substance. It is a very riveting to read and I do highly recommend it to people that that like historical novels. It was definitely a page turner for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC!

This book was good - I think McMorris created an interesting story that shed light on a part of history that isn't often focused on. I found Celia more impulsive than felt realistic at points, and the way the story wraps up also felt a bit unrealistic. However, the story was still entertaining and interesting.
I liked the cast of side characters, especially Lettie and Marie.
I also found the descriptions of the town and the events really transportive - I could easily picture the locations she mentioned.

The Girls of Good Fortune is a captivating and haunting story. The story goes back and forth from Celia’s time during imprisonment and time before imprisonment.
Celia is half Chinese, a time when there was a lot of racism toward Chinese Americans. I never knew there were underground tunnels in Shanghai, found this very interesting.
A story that had me heartbroken as I read.
A novel of resilience, strength, justice, corruption, racial identity and much more.

Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book.

I devoured this book in what felt like record time. Celia is half Chinese, half American in an age when anti-Chinese sentiment is at a high. She is working as a maid/nanny in a wealthy Portland home in the late 19th century. She has kept her Chinese heritage mostly a secret, although her employers do know and choose to ignore it. Celia has fallen in love with the son of the family she works for - one night of passion leads to a totally different life for Celia, including being shanghaied on a boat headed for the East.

Character development is strong and I enjoyed learning more about Celia, her friends and eventual family. There is a touch of romance with the normal "you can't marry someone outside your station" but all is resolved at the end. Endings are happy and it was a good portrayal of the time.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 20, 2025
Portland, Oregon, 1888: A young woman named Celia wakes up alone and completely disoriented- somewhere in an underground cell. As her memories slowly return Celia realizes that she has been “shanghai’ed”, captured by a group of seamen to be used as a hired hand on a shipping vessel. As Celia recalls her journey, starting as a maid for the wealthy mayor and a year spent in a local brothel, the only thing Celia knows is that she needs to return to Portland, and fast, before everything she loves is taken from her, never to be seen again.
Kristina McMorris is the historical fiction author known for “Sold on a Monday” and “The Ways We Hide”. Her newest novel, “The Girls of Good Fortune”, goes even farther back than her typical World War Two timeline, to the late nineteenth century in Oregon, where the anti-Chinese sentiment is rampant.
As a part Asian writer, McMorris connects to this story and it shows through her passionate writing and engaging, entertaining plot. Highlighting a time in American history that isn’t often talked about, when the construction of the railroads brought Chinese workers to American shores, only to leave them stigmatized and outcast when the job was done, McMorris ensures that it will not easily be forgotten.
“Fortune” is dual timeline, narrated by Celia before her abduction and after, with only a few years between. The epilogue occurs over one hundred years later, in 1995, allowing readers to come full circle with Celia’s history and understand how her journey ended.
I felt for Celia from the beginning and empathized with her throughout. She was completely relatable as a young woman, struggling with the confines of her gender and station, desperate to fight for what she feels is right. She takes on not just the patriarchy, but the racial injustices around her, which makes her a character I could easily get behind.
McMorris is a gifted writer, to be sure, with the power to immerse twenty-first century readers in her nineteenth century environments through motivational characters, flowing and emotional storylines and well-researched plots. Although I am a fan of World War Two fiction, I love when writers introduce me to a time that is not often talked about in historical fiction, allowing me to experience a new element of understanding and compassion. Whether McMorris returns to World War Two with her next novel, or not, I look forward to reading and enjoying it.

This historical fiction novel tells the story of the Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, and treatment of Chinese during the gold rush time period. Celia is half-Chinese and fell in love with the white mayor's son, ending up pregnant with his child. She is cast away to live as a cleaner in a brothel, ultimately being abducted and finding herself locked in a small room on a ship. The story was very well researched and brings to light a piece of history that I was not familiar with. The story didn't completely click for me, feeling slightly disconnected.

'...Chinese men who'd been so eagerly recruited for backbreaking labor in America were now deemed threats to white men's jobs, resented for their willingness to endure longer hours and lower pay'.

Celia's story begins near its end; groggily waking up in a dark room dressed in men's clothing. Going back a few years, we begin to learn Celia's story which starts with having had to hide her mixed heritage. Being able to pass as white, changing her surname and living away from her Chinese father seemed to work fine - until it didn't. When violent protests and mass killings become too personal, Celia seeks justice for what she knows to be right. Surely it's time for fortune to balance out all her misfortune.

'The Girls of Good Fortune' is an easy-to-read adventure. I admit that after reading the first half of the book, I thought it was heading in a totally different direction than what actually unfolded. I really enjoyed learning more about the history of Chinese migrants to Portland and the Shanghai tunnels under Portland's Old Chinatown. Although I love a plucky FMC, I did feel that some of Celia's feats were 'out of character'. Overall though, very enjoyable, readable book.

'Fortune rests in misfortune'.

There is so much to like about this book. Superb writing but often events seemed way too convenient to have happened as they did. Celia is young and in love with the mayor's son, Stephen, who has left for school abroad to become a doctor. When the mayor and his wife find out she is pregnant, they refuse to accept that Stephen is the father, but do arrange for her to go to a brothel where she first becomes a housekeeper there, and then a cook. In the meantime, Celia discovers that her father was massacred in a horrendous racist crime, that fact leads to her sometimes making poor decisions for herself and her child, Pearl. As a result of those poor decisions, Celia finds herself "shanghaied" aboard a ship and has to find a way to escape. Part love story, part treatise on unforgivable crimes, part adventure story, the HEA ending felt somewhat unbelievable, as does Celia's ability to escape every predicament her naive decisions leave her in. Despite that I could not put the book down as I wanted to find out what happened to Celia. Although I received an Advanced Reader Copy, my opinions are my own and given freely.

The Girls of Good Fortune is a historical fiction novel set in 1800s Portland, following Celia, a young woman of mixed Chinese and white heritage. The story opens explosively, with Celia drugged and trapped in the infamous Shanghai tunnels — an unsettling beginning that immediately plunges the reader into a dark and dangerous chapter of American history.

As Celia fights to carve out a life for herself and her daughter, McMorris paints a vivid, often heartbreaking picture of the racism and hardship faced by Chinese immigrants at the time. The historical detail is rich and unflinching, bringing to light a part of history that feels both important and often overlooked.

After the intense start, I found the pacing slowed considerably. While I stuck with it, it did take a little while to fully re-engage with the story. Ultimately, though, the latter part of the book delivers a true sense of the epic journey Celia undergoes — a testament to resilience in a deeply hostile world.

While I appreciated the depth of the historical context, I struggled at times to fully connect with Celia as a character. Her decisions occasionally felt difficult to understand, making her feel a little elusive. That said, this might be partly due to my unfamiliarity with stories covering this specific period and experience.

Overall, The Girls of Good Fortune is an intense but interesting read that offers valuable insight into a difficult era. I learned a lot from it, and despite some reservations about character connection, I believe it’s worth reading for its historical richness alone.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.

I always love Kristina McMorris' writing, but this may be my favorite of her novels. This story sucked me in from the beginning and I knew that things were going to get bad for our protagonist before they could get better. It was disturbing to read of treatment of Chinese immigrant workers (based in fact) as well as what Celia had to endure. This story takes place in Portland in 1888, and I did not realize that Portland had such a dark history.
It was a fascinating read from a historical perspective, while the romance and family issues made for a lively movement of the plot.
If you enjoy historical fiction, I think you will enjoy The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristine McMorris. Thank you for my copy!
Full review on my blog closer to pub date.

Goodness! What a story! Beautifully written and full of heart, this story takes you on a roller coaster of emotions.

The story starts out with Celia waking up held captive; and goes back and forth from past to scenes of the present until it catches up. It flows seamlessly and holds you captive. It’s cruel and heartbreaking yet filled with beautiful acts of kindness and is filled with hope and love. It’s a heartbreaking history to read and very enlightening. There are many shocking turns of events that had my heart racing and held me captive waiting with bated breath and anticipation of what was to come. A heartfelt story that holds you captive to the end.

I gave The Girls of Good Fortune four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you Sourcebooks, Kristina McMorris and Net Galley for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I loved this story. It’s a story of resilience and a mother’s love and determination- with plenty of twists and adventures.

I was engaged with the FMC and was rooting for her. Although, gah, I dislike an FMC who makes not so smart decisions in the name of “doing what’s right”. And Celia is one of those FMCs, unfortunately. I mean, if it is probably going to get you killed, maybe don’t do it unless you HAVE to (and, no, she didn’t HAVE to)

This book did inspire me to look into the Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, which I assumed had to do with Chinese people (I was wrong). And, I looked into the treatment of Chinese people in the late 1800s in the northwest. I wish this book had included a little more about the historical aspect during the story telling.

Overall, a good book!

A story of hope, family, perseverance, and much more all laid out in a unique historical fiction novel. Thank you, Kristina, for sharing this heartbreaking story and opening our eyes to the mistreatment of Chinese immigrants in America.

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Girls of Good Fortune is a fast-paced read. The characters are interesting enough to keep the pages turning.

It’s a good, quick read especially for fans of historical fiction, just not one that stuck with me long after the last page.

I love it when I open a work of historical fiction and learn about something completely new.

I had limited to no knowledge about the Shanghai Tunnels in the Pacific Northwest, and it really is a disturbing piece of history. It was a period highlighted by racism and riddled with numerous horrible atrocities inflicted on Chinese immigrants. I further felt that The Girls of Good Fortune tastefully brought up the subject of hiding one’s heritage to escape persecution, a thought that is bound to stimulate some good discussions.

Despite diving into this unsettling past history, I found McMorris’ main character inspiring, courageous and determined. She was an easy protagonist to get behind and rally for. The author’s personal family history really adds to the experience, and I highly recommend that you read the author’s additional notes. This was a story that kept me turning the pages and fully immersed in the tale.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this advanced copy via NetGalley. If you are a fellow historical fiction fan, get your hands on this one!

The Girls of Good Fortune is a historical novel that takes place in Portland in 1888. It is the story of a mixed race girl ,Celia, who falls in love with the son of the family she works for. As the story enfolds Celia is kidnapped and separated from her daughter. This story focuses on the prejudice that Asians have encountered and are still encountering today in America. It is a tale of motherhood, friendship and forbidden love. It also gives us some insight into what it means in our society to be of mixed race. It was a very wonderful read and in some places exciting

I enjoy historical fiction, especially when it highlights a portion of history that I am not immediately familiar with. Celia is of Chinese descent passing as white and receiving letters from her Chinese father, who hopes to return her to him by finding her a suitable match. The first half of the book was enjoyable if predictable: A death, an entanglement revealed too late, a drastic change in circumstance. I wish more attention had been given to fleshing out the relationships and atmosphere of Celia's new living arrangements.

The second half reads more like an adventure story and seems out of keeping with the character development, and the ending was tied up in a neat, if not entirely believable way.

Overall ,an interesting read that highlights some parts of history of which many may not be aware.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.