Thanks to @berkleypub @netgalley and @eve.j.chung.writes for my #gifted copy! Also, a special shoutout to @dolenperkinsvaldez for selecting Daughters of Shandong for her book club! I thoroughly enjoyed the chat with Eve and learning more about how this book relates to her family history.

Set during the Communist Revolution in China, Chung’s storytelling transported me back to a time when families were torn apart by familial traditions, obligations, and differing ideologies. As we follow Hai, Di, Lan, and their mother through unimaginable circumstances in Qingdao, then refugee camps at Mount Davis and Rennie’s Mill, we bear witness to the resilience of citizens through a harsh landscape and building a community with new family units.

I thought Chung’s emphasis on the importance of education was perfection: “Education, while only in one facet, creates a foundation for working toward other goals. It can lift people out of poverty, and break harmful cycles that have endured for centuries.”

I think the mother daughter relationship really hit home for me because I know there’s absolutely nothing my mom wouldn’t do for me. Chung states in her acknowledgments, “Most important, I was able to write about the selfless love that mothers have for their daughters, because it is something I received plentifully. No matter how old I am, my mom still tries to take care of me. It is a kindness that I no longer take for granted, and one that I cherish even more as time goes by.”

As historical fiction novels often do, Daughters of Shandong deals with heavy subject matter and there are trigger warnings. Feel free to DM me about them before you read.

Based on the life of the author’s grandmother, Daughters of Shandong is a haunting story of China in the
mid-1940s and early 50s when communist rule was taking over. Hai and her mom and sisters survive living on the streets, malnutrition, being beaten, disease, and more during their journey from their nice home in Zhucheng. When the communists come to run out the landowners, Hai’s father and grandparents flee in terror leaving Hai, her mom, and 2 sisters to fend for themselves. Because they are girls in a society that values men, they are left behind and forced to find their own way to Taiwan. The journey brings hardship and pain, but the women learn what they are truly capable of. This is a heartbreaking story of survival and determination.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is an amazing debut novel that captures China in the time period in the late 40s/early 50s when the Communist revolution is occurring. In amazing detail, we follow the journey of a mother and her daughters as they cross China on their own to Hong Kong and ultimately to Taiwan. This is a time period and culture when women were not valued, so the Ang daughter-in-law and her daughters were left behind when the men (and mother-in-law) of the family flee their home ahead of the communists. The women are left behind to bear the anger of the communists against the landowners and then have to make their own way with no resources to reunite with their family. This is a riveting story based loosely on the author's own family. Eve Chung has written an incredible story that really puts you in the moment and helps you to understand the experiences of these characters. If this is her first novel, I can't wait to see what this author does next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an early ecopy. My opinion is my own.

A story set in 1940's/50's China as the communist government came to power and the landowning Ang family were targeted by the new regime. Hai is the eldest daughter in the family and she is left along with her mother and sisters to stay in house while her father and rest of the family abandon them and head to safety. Hai and her mother and sisters then go through harrowing experiences as they are expected to take the punishment for the rest of the Ang family, all while they try and reunite with the rest of the Angs. The story then follows the trials they face as they try to get to Taiwan. Overall, a story of the discrimination women faced and the hardships they went through just to survive. It was interesting to watch Hai's change in perspective on women as she broadened her horizons .

This is a book about gender equality that you’re not likely to forget. The things these women went through are unbelievable, and yet, they survived them all. I enjoyed learning about this part of the world during this time period, something I knew little about, and these characters really brought it to life. This is a heavy read, but a story that definitely needs to be heard. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction with girl-power mixed in.

Historical fiction about a mother and her daughters who were abandoned during the communist takeover of China. Great story that brought to life the attitude toward women in China at that time.

Eve J. Chung's debut novel is sure to leave you speechless!

"Daughters of Shandong" portrays the Ang family's challenges during China's 1948 civil war. The narrative focuses on Hai and her sisters, who are left behind when their family flees, and their subsequent journey across a changing nation. As they confront persecution and adversity, the novel explores themes of family loyalty, resilience, and the evolving roles of women in a time of societal transformation. Chung's vivid storytelling captures both the hardships and the strength of the Ang sisters as they navigate a turbulent period in Chinese history.

Chung's novelization of her grandmother's life pulled me in almost instantly. While the story was slow to start at first, I found it hard to book back down once I was halfway in. Unlike most Historical Fiction, "Daughters of Shandong"'s prose is relatable and easy to pick up. I highly recommend this novel if you're looking for a break between your usual genres of choice.

debut novel based of Chung’s own family.
Set in China in the late 1940’s/early 1950’s, this story follows the Ang
family, wealthy farming landlords who are solidly in the crosshairs of the
newly in power Communist regime. 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. Suddenly, this prosperous family’s old way of life has
vanished in an instant. Father, Nai Nai (Grandmother) and Yei Yei
(Grandfather) pack up all their worldly possessions and flee to safety,
leaving behind Mother and her three daughters in hostile territory with little
more than the grit and the clothes on their back to survive. 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. From Shandong to Hong Kong to
Taiwan Mother and her daughters travel with little more than the clothes on
their backs

The story is narrated in the first person from Hai’s perspective The eldest
daughter

This story doesn’t mince words, portions of this story are hard to handle but
well worth the read. Shows the parallels of how women were treated and
how they persevere

The story of Daughters of Shandong is set in 1948, when the Communist revolution takes place in China. The wealthy landowning Ang family lives in rural Zhucheng, Shandong with four girls, The family lives in the house where also the strict and not very nice grandmother Nai Nai rules the household, and who is not happy with four girls instead of a son who will take care of the family later on. Eldest daughter Hai, thirtheen years old, is the oldest of the four girls, Di is her headstrong younger sister, Three is the third daughter of the family who sadly passes away, and Lan is the youngest. Things take a bad turn for the four girls and their mother when the communist army reaches Shandong, and the father of the family, grandmother and other wealthy family that lives in the house, flee , and leave behind the four daughters and their mother, because they are seen as useless mouths to feed,but they have to guard the house for them. And then the land seizing communist cadres come to the house, take over the house, and without their father being there, or a son, the oldest daughter is punished for the family being landowners, and Hai is taken away and has to stand trial for the crime of being from a landowner family. She is beaten up badly and the punishment is physically and mentally brutal, which she barely survives. When she is released, the three daughters and their mother flee, as they are no longer safe in Shandong without family. Without any money for food, they flee to Qingdao, later British Hong Kong where they land as refugees later to Taiwan, where their father, who abandoned them, seems to be.

All together they flee a thousand miles, a difficult and dangerous journey during a tumultous revolution in China, and it is vividly describes what the four girls and their mother experience along the road and how they survive the hardships, and what happens later in life. It's a very impressive story of four very strong women, and the strong bond between them.

Daughters of Shandong is an impressive and beautifully written story based loosely on the life of the maternal grandmother of the author. The story takes place in a time when it was normal to '' value men, belittle women'', a Confucian tradition. The mother of the daughters is treated as a servant who has to kneel for the grandmother, whose behavior is nothing more then abusive, until later in Taiwan, she becomes the mother of a son. Mother Yue is kind and does everything to protect her daughters and to provide food for them. Hai is a very strong main character, you read everything from her point of view.

Di is a bit rebellious daughter, and Lan sadly had to face many health issues because of malnutrition and lack of food. I knew a little about the specific time period in China that the book is set in, but I learned more about it because of this book, and I truly applaud the author for creating this beautiful debut book, and I also learned more about specific Chinese traditions. But most of all the story is about four very strong Chinese women, who survive in a very difficult and dangerous time period in China and have to face homelessness and poverty. But later on, Hai's daughter is admitted at the best university in Taiwan, and their dream for a better life comes true. I absolutely love this book, and I truly recommend it!!

This is a historical fiction book centering the communist revolution in China. The focus of the book is high, her mother and her three sisters as they try to escape from where they are because they are being persecuted for the family that they belong to. The book starts at heartbreaking because you see how high her mother and sisters are treated by the family who also then desserts to deal with, any punishments that may come a journey that really shows the strength of mothers and sisters and I found a fascinating book to read

I requested Daughters of Shandong as background reading for a promotion we ran in conjunction with Berkley marketing dept. The book was very well received by our member-reviewers, so in addition to the First Impressions Program coverage, we also featured the book as one of our four weekly Top Picks: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/rt308544/daughters-of-shandong#reviews

I have not read many novels written about this time period and setting, China and Taiwan during the Communist takeover of China. The Ang’s were wealthy landowners and when the Communists were winning over the Nationalists, the Ang family left Shandong, leaving behind the wife of the heir and her daughters. The traditional view of girls was that they were extra mouths to feed, and only sons were celebrated. The ordeal that Hai, her mother, and her sisters Di and Lan had to go through was one of hunger, filth, poverty and extreme hardship. The author truly captured their experience, one based on her own family’s experience. Hai’s strength was incredible, as was her mother’s as they trudged through China. I highly recommend this work of historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Admittedly, "Daughters of Shandong" is not a book that I would normally pick up to read. I'm generally not a fan of historical fiction. However, once I started reading it, I found myself having a hard time putting it down. It tells the story of Hai Ang, the eldest of 4 daughters, and their mother, who were left behind by Hai's father and his wealthy, land-owning family during the Communist uprising in China during the 1940s. In the book we follow the Ang women as they attempt to escape the Communist army, to the city of Qingdao, and eventually making it to safety in Taiwan, where they are reunited with their father and the rest of the Angs.

This was an amazing debut novel by Eve J. Chung, and it is based on her own family's story. Make no mistake, it is definitely not an easy read at times- we see the abuse of Hai's mother by her mother-in-law for not giving birth to sons, the physical and mental abuse of Hai by the Communist army as she is forced to stand trial for her wealthy family's crimes, her family's leaving of the women behind to fend for themselves as the Communists approached, and the general conditions that the Ang women faced on their journey. However, it also speaks to the resilience of these women and what they went through to stay together and make their way to safety, and where the daughters ended up later in their adult lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishers with providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, where do I even start? I don't often read historical fiction lately, I've been pretty stuck on mystery/thrillers and romance, but this story wouldn't let me go. I was immediately drawn to the family and couldn't put it down.

I spent so much of this book anxious that they wouldn't get to safety, or that Nai Nai wouldn't get taken to task for being so awful, but there was still so much love and hope. Buried between the tragedy, the pain, and the fear, was small moments of triumph but even larger than that, was the determination to survive against all odds. There is so much pain and anger in this book and I felt it all. Every injustice mother and Li-Hai endured, I endured with them. Their grief was visceral to me, and I felt my heart ache in my chest.

This was an absolutely stellar debut, and I am eagerly waiting for more books from Eve Chung.

The characters are impacted by large scale world events, but the book doesn't attempt to explain or teach the reader about the events.

In Eve J. Chung’s debut novel, a young girl embarked on a grueling journey to escape post-WWII communist China with her mother and sisters. The book comes in four parts: 1. Life in a family that owned land (地主) in Zhucheng, Shandong—where her kind mother is abused by a vicious mother-in-law—followed by mother and daughters’ journey by foot to Qingdao after being abandoned by the rest of the family. 2. Surviving in Qingdao through the kindness of relatives as they seek train tickets to Hong Kong. 3. Life in a refugee camp in Hong Kong as they seek news of their family who had fled to Taiwan. 4. The hesitant reunion with the family who abandoned them, and the continuation of the pattern of abuse along with change through the generations in response to trauma.

While the book begins like a trope in Chinese dramas, the touching story is one that resonates with many Chinese families. Those who stayed, survived, and rebuilt, or those who fled with or without their wealth; all who lived through that traumatic era of revolution have a story to tell. And yet, not many are willing to tell that story. In most instances, keeping your mouth shut was the best way to survive, and that instinct has endured through the years. The author broke through such barriers by supplementing family accounts with historical research, painting a vivid picture that not only brought the plight of one family to light, but provided the social, political, and cultural background that gave people a better understanding of China during that era regardless of how much they knew when they picked up the book. The author’s work as an international human rights lawyer also lends credibility to her understanding of the historical plight of women and refugees around the world.

As much as I loved this book, the spelling errors and formatting inconsistencies of Chinese words did bother me a bit. I’m hoping it’s because I’m reading an early version of this book and such mistakes are fixed in later versions. These errors are probably not something that would bother the average reader. However, having spent a lot of time figuring out how to effectively represent Chinese words in my own books, I’ve become extra sensitive to such details. From the very first sentence, sìhéyuàn was spelled shiheyuan, and persisted for the rest of the novel. The transliteration of Chinese words and names sometimes were by pinyin rules, and other times were based on spellings popular in Taiwan. (Yei Yei instead of Yéyé, the Chiang surname, Chiao, etc.) It’s a difficult decision to make, as many words accepted in English are oftentimes based on spellings that came out of Hongkong or Taiwan (Kuomintang as opposed to Guómíndǎng). The consistency of italics, spaces, and dashes are additional decisions that add to the complexity.

The perfectionist in me annoyingly interrupted the story every time it spotted an inconsistency, but the rich and heartfelt voice of the narrator pulled me right back in again. These details, while annoying, did not take away from the heartbreaking beauty of the story being told. Plus, the author brilliantly depicted a colorful cast of characters, allowing me to visualize them in their movements and speech as if I could hear their dialects and accents in Chinese.

The story is told with a sense of urgency, in a voice that draws you in, that welcomes you like a long-lost family member from whom you can learn the secrets of past generations. I highly recommend this book.

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung is a historical fiction book set in post WWII China. It's written in a younger tone so it is easy to follow. I felt like I was immersed in the story and felt like I was in China. There was so much to this story I wasn't expecting and in the best way! I knew daughters were not a prevalent in the culture as what sons were. This book makes you stop to think. Overall a great read for a debut from this author!

I grew up knowing about what the Chinese thought of daughters, but seeing it as their citizens would have lived it was eye opening. While I had heard the words, the reality of it was more than I could have imagined. Chung did such a great job of pulling me in and having me experience the communist revolution and what it did to their citizens. The Ang family was thriving, but the male part of the family flees and leaves the rest to try and survive.

Following their ups and mostly downs of trying to meet back up with their family as they journeyed to Taiwan. Reading about how the slightest kindness made such a difference to these women.

Li-Hai is the oldest daughter and she is the narrator of their story. Describing what her mother does to keep them alive and as safe. Li-Hai is the opposite of her rebellious younger sister and while they often work together to help, they also are at odds with their beliefs.

Yu-Li Alice Shen narrated this one and definitely enhanced the journey of the Ang family. The emotions, the shock, and the love shown through in her narration. She made me feel like I was a part of the story experiencing every up and down.

This one is definitely one of the better reads for me this year.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel was quite a surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed it and the very interesting storytelling about the civil War and the Communist revolution in China. This is a period of history that it is so often overlooked, and the role of women in trying to survive is particularly poignant. I also really enjoyed the last several chapters as the protagonist managed to make her own way in the world and find a way to empower her own daughter to achieve great things despite the system of patriarchy that she grew up in. What a strong debut!

**Many thanks to Berkley and Eve J. Chung for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

"There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women." - Malala Yousefzai

While some may be overjoyed at the birth of ANY child, in 1940s China, having "just another daughter" is nothing short of a curse. Amidst the poverty of the rural community of Shandong, the wealthy Ang family are desperate for a son to carry on the family name and the family wealth, leaving Hai and her sisters feeling like less of a blessing and more of a burden. With the Communist revolution knocking at their doorstep (quite literally) the girls try to keep their heads down and hope to remain out of the fray...but the rest of the family flees when soldiers arrive. Hai, as the eldest girl, is chosen to be representative for her family and must bear the brunt of the soldiers cruelty...and feels lucky to make it out alive.

Hai and her sisters know now is the time to make their escape, and with practically nothing but the burlap sacks they fashion as clothing (and flour they hide inside) to take with them as they are forced out...they have NO Idea if they will even make it to their destination alive. Their travels take them from Qingdao to Hong Kong to Taiwan, relying on the kindness of few along the way, with Hai keeping headstrong sister Di on the right path and hoping to lean on her intelligence to land a teaching job, the girls scrap, scrimp, and struggle their way across the countryside, determined to face the men who wronged them and forge a new path for themselves - one that doesn't revolve around producing yet another faceless male heir who will demand their subservience. As they finally reach family in Taiwan, will all of Hai's struggles and the arduous journey she has faced so far be worth the pain in the end as she is able to make a TRUE stand against injustice? Or will the firm grasp of the patriarchy keep these women "in their place" and stifle ANY chance for REAL independence?

With historical fiction, it's sometimes easier to get swept away by the text if you're very familiar with the place, era, and the events taking place...and in this case, I had little familiarity coming into this book about all three of those elements. I have to admit I spent a lot more of this read getting acclimated to what was going on at any given time, keeping track of where we were geographically, and keeping track of the characters and their activities than I would have liked, and this did take me out of the 'flow' a bit while reading. Chung is a very talented writer, but I felt like this read a bit more like a text rather than fiction at times, where there was a great deal of focus on the plot, where we were heading next, etc. so this style of HF reads a bit dry to me in comparison to others that have a more balanced approach. However, I also DO feel if I had the historical background coming INTO the book, this probably wouldn't have been noticeable or bothered me in the slightest, so it was one of those instances where I wish I'd taken a few minutes to do a little preemptive research before reading (and perhaps next time I will!)

What I honestly wished there was more of in this book was character development - because every glimpse we DID get into these fascinating women left me wanting more. At the beginning, I thought the harsh words from the girls' grandmother about how useless they were for not being born male etc. were going to play a bigger part in the overall goings on...but I felt like despite Chung's best efforts, there was so much plot content to get through, that I didn't get as thorough of a glimpse inside the minds of Hai, Di, and the others as I would have liked. I understood their struggles through the action, sure; but with such dynamic and intelligent personalities, it would have been even more impactful to get a firm sense of their INNER selves. I'm not saying this book could have necessarily functioned as a series of diary entries or the like, but I think utilizing that sort of device would have given an extra layer of realism and emotional connectivity that I personally look for in some of my favorite historical fiction reads.

What DID elevate the overall experience for me, however, was the detailed and fascinating author's note Chung includes at the end of this one, where she reveals that this book was in fact based on her OWN family's personal history. Her attention to detail and careful consideration while telling her family's story alone was enough to get me to bump up my rating. This is one of those author's notes that makes you want to read an entire BOOK (or maybe watch a documentary?) about the writing process because there is simply too much detail to fit inside an addendum. I know it probably isn't feasible, but since this is only Chung's debut, perhaps in the future she could delve into what happens next for our beloved women of Shandong.

And although I won't reveal whether or not grandmother Nai Nai has to eat her own words by the end of this harrowing tale...I WILL reference one other quote that sums up the power, the resilience, the determination, and the fortitude displayed by ALL of the Daughters of Shandong: "If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something DONE, ask a woman."

Perfectly stated, Margaret Thatcher.

4 stars, rounded up from 3.5