Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a really interesting historical novel that dealt with both a period and a demographic that we do not often see represented in literature, and the story was all the better for it. Celia, a young, headstrong, and occasionally misguided young woman, takes the helm as the protagonist, and manages to weave her way through a number of hardships and difficulties to achieve some degree of justice for her small family and herself in the end.

I think my issues with this book largely come down to it being a bit too idealistic, and much of Celia's story didn't feel quite as realistic as I would have. hoped. Sure, she manages everything well, but perhaps too much so in that it feels like she just gets out of things with little to no consequence, which is fairly unrealistic. Some of her decisions were also just not practical for the era and for the circumstances. With that said, her choices definitely made for interesting reading, which was fantastic.

The history aspects of this book were fantastic. There was so much in here that I had no idea about, and I very much appreciate the education from the author on what was a well-researched, interesting piece of historical fiction. On that basis, this book is a 4 star for me - while the characterisation niggled in parts, it was still good, and I found myself fascinated with the story itself.

What a rich tapestry of a novel. You truly get to see her evolution and growth as a woman in this hard to live with time period. It really reminded me of memoirs of a geisha in the political landscape

An enjoyable historical read - mainly because it's still not too often that I come across a book that cares to focus on any of the mistreatment that Chinese immigrants in the US faced. In a national history that's unfortunately quite heavy with the discrimination, this is one episode that still tends to feel a bit swept under the rug, to say the least, so any book that reminds, teaches, and also entertains like "The Girls of Good Fortune" did is always quite welcome!

This was such an interesting read.

The way the story shows the anti-Chinese sentiment and the naivety and vindictiveness of the ‘oppressors’.

Celia being half Chinese has found a way to adapt to society but as she is white passing, she finds this easier than most.
I’m glad the author wrote this book, which although fictional highlights the very real struggles of Chinese immigrants in the 1800s.
I did love the story, but felt like sometimes the pacing was off.

This was a book that surprised me and it is a solid 4.5 star read, rounded up to 5. It was such an interesting and intriguing combination of historical fiction, adventure and romance.

The FMC Celia is brave and strong in both heart and mind. She, and all other characters, have depth and complexity. You love them and root for them, try to understand them and discern their histories, or just plain hate them with a passion. Sometimes all three depending on where you are in the book!

The plot and pace is fantastic. The love story is a convoluted one that isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. Your heart swells and breaks in equal measure. The adventure aspect was an excellent bonus not expected and kept me reading page after page! I was thoroughly satisfied with the ending.

This book and story are so well written, for pure entertainment but it also contains many factual histories and details I appreciate - without feeling intrusive. The point of view of a gold rush era multiracial woman and the social climate of those times was very interesting and I valued the worldview shared. I came away with knowledge about real life tragedy and wrongs that have never been accounted for or justice served. I feel that knowing of, and sharing the stories of these little recognized or discussed historical anti-Chinese crimes, validates the victims and hopefully brings a tiny bit of closure with each person that I tell and each person that reads this book. We cannot let history be erased and for these victims the truth can at least finally be shared in the absence of justice.

I highly recommend this simultaneously entertaining and deep read!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this fantastic book.


#NetGalley #TheGirlsofGoodFortune #historicalfiction #womensfiction #multiculturalinterest

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC
I enjoyed this book thoroughly, although I found it hard to connect with the FMC it didn't take anything out from the storyline about this particular horrific period of American Immigration history.
4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of the book The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris. I'll keep this review short, but I was immensely impressed and invigorated while reading it. It's an important one because it captures the essence of historical facts in 19th Century of America: the despicable discrimination against the Chinese people, the Rock Springs Massacre, racial and class identities, the Shanghai Tunnels, and the fictional elements of the characters dispositions throughout while keeping the readers hooked with the vibrancy of the story. It's also incredible to note how past atrocities still resonates with the present political scenario within the States. It's a well structured, gripping tale of a woman and her own conflict of identity within revolution, freedom, and culture, with immense care taken to build upon motherhood and the cost of it.

The supporting casts were well depicted too, they were layered, and their dispositions not disposed as a mere filler option. Celia, even though reckless and stubborn with her decisions and actions, you eventually understand her heart was in the right place. The conflicts inbuilt within her character were finely depicted. Loved Lettie and Marie too, ladies of the night? More like, ladies of my heart! But, if you thought you had bad days, think again, because Celia's about to have the worst day possible.

The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity set in the era troubled with anti-Chinese sentiment.

Portland, end of 19th century. Celia’s family escaped China for America, a place advertised as the Golden Mountain, only to face a new set of hardship. As Celia’s father works at a coal mine, she works as a maid for mayor’s family, where she falls in love with the mayor’s son. It’s a challenging situation for both of them, and they’d have to move to Washington Territory for their marriage to be legal.

The story begins with a romance which has dire consequences for Celia. It is further intertwined with her abduction and stark reality for Chinese immigrants, and scary underground world of the Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels.

The story tangles between two timelines. It takes time to make sense and get connected with the present timeline, which is abduction. Once, present timeline makes more sense, then the story becomes more engrossing in its entirety.

Celia, half-Chinese, had to learn how to adapt to prejudice. She is a strong character who quickly learns resilience and finds her ways out of difficult situations. A protagonist that searches every fiber within her to find the strength to fight for what she believes in.

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris 4/5 stars.
In 1888, a young woman wakes up and discovers she had been drugged and disguised and is in the 'shanghai' aka Portland tunnels! We then go back in time to discover how Celia got there. Tracing back through her twisted past, from being a maid for a prominent family, to getting intertwined with an incident with miners.

It was interesting to learn about the Portland tunnels, and some tales of what happened to some victims.

“The Girls of Good Fortune” is a historical fiction book by Kristina McMorris. I found the historical aspects of this book interesting - from the massacre at the village to the tunnels under Portland. I also found the research into the time period interesting too. The less savory parts of a town (opium dens, prostitution houses) are described in a way that fits the time and the characters. I think Ms. McMorris did a decent job presenting the racism and harsh conditions faced by the Chinese; there’s a fine line between detailing too much and not detailing enough and I thinks Ms. McMorris balanced it out in this story. My one problem was the main female character - Celia. I never quite warmed up to her - she was reckless and impulsive, which didn’t sit well with me. I also felt like the ending was tacked on to close out the story, but I'm not sure it was really necessary. I can see a number of people reading and enjoying this book (I can see it being discussed at book club meetings), for me it was a good read but not a fantastic one, even with the interesting tunnels. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

An eye-opening read of historical fiction, blending anti-Chinese sentiment in the 1880’s, in Portland Oregon., the role of women of the times, love and perseverance.
We meet Celia who discovers she is trapped in the Shanghai Tunnels, a secret network of tunnels under the streets of Portland’s waterfront. History tells us these tunnels were used to kidnap individuals into slave labor including prostitution. Upon realizing she has been captured, Celia also realizes her survival depends everything she can think of to keep herself alive.
A strong female main character, Celia brings this story, which is historically based on events of Chinese prejudice, to great depths. Thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks for my eARC.

I like this one a lot and learning about this period of history and the Shanghai tunnels and the horrible mistreatment at the hands of the whites against the Chinese immigrants. It was a good book as all hers are
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

The Girls of Good Fortune is a historical fiction novel that explores the gritty, dangerous world of the Shanghai Tunnels, the infamous underground network in Portland, Oregon, where people were abducted and forced into servitude on ships. The story centres on a woman, Celia, who wakes up in an underground cell, drugged and disguised—she's been "shanghaied," kidnapped and sold into forced labour.

The novels greatest success is in it's historical context, and McMorris has done a commendable job of depicting the harsh realities faced by the Chinese community in the late 1800s in the USA. The treatment of Chinese workers is a sobering theme that is well-explored, shedding light on the exploitation, racism, and violence they endured during this era. McMorris has successfully weaved this historical backdrop into the plot, and I found this the most compelling aspect of the book.

However, while the historical setting is well-crafted, I felt that Celia was a difficult protagonist to connect with. She was reckless and thoughtless in ways that felt out of step with her situation, the time period, and the dangerous circumstances she finds herself in. Her actions throughout the book often made me cringe, and I found her very hard to empathise with in her plight for freedom. I also found that many of the minor characters were very underdeveloped, and there was an implausibility to some of the plot elements.

Whilst this book does offer a glimpse into a dark chapter of American history, and its portrayal of the exploitation of Chinese immigrants provides a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by marginalized communities. I felt that the characters within the novel were too unrelatable, and I was frustrated by many of their choices; this left the book from reaching its full potential.

Thanks NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Another masterpiece by Kristina McMorris! I felt like I was aboard the ship and was jumping the train. The best storyteller! This story relays historical facts of the mistreatment of the Chinese in the late 1800s-1900s. History is kept alive. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book.

Gorgeous, poignant story telling melded seamlessly with a little history lesson.

The Girls of Good Fortune centres around Celia who in 1888 finds herself coming to, wearing a disguise and completely unsure of her location. We move back 3 years with Celia and follow events that lead to her being there, and how she can escape to save herself.

A beautiful piece of historical fiction blending anti-Chinese sentiment, the role of women, resilience and love.

The epilogue felt like a jilting afterthought and as is the sole reason this wasn’t a 5 star read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Girls of Good Fortune” is another great historical novel by Kristina McMorris.

I read a lot of historical fiction, but I have never read a novel that focused on Chinese prejudice in the 19th century in such a poignant and noteworthy manner. Here, we meet Celia who discovers herself as trapped in the Shanghai Tunnels, which is part of a secret network of tunnels beneath the streets of Portland’s waterfront. As history goes, these tunnels were used to kidnap individuals into slave labor including prostitution. Hence, when Celia realizes she is "shanghaied,” she also realizes she must do everything she can to ensure her survival.

I enjoy McMorris’s fiction, not just because of the historical events she portrays, but the deeply memorable characters that she created. This novel is no exception.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for the privilege of reviewing this book.

While I appreciated the history lesson, I found this tale far fetched and bogged down with superfluous descriptions. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a great book. It had a lot of information about the time period and it held my interest throughout. Recommended for readers of historical and women’s fiction.

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris weaves a story of the mistreatment of Chinese immigrants in America. A lot of themes were going on, including racial identity and discrimination, prostitution, corruption, and class divisions.
The story all comes together as the author develops the characters.
The underground world of the Shanghai Tunnels was intriguing to me and a very scary reality.
The plot is super involved.
As the story begins, we meet Celia, who becomes a victim of being “shanghaied” and her journey in an underground cell.
Learning about Chinese prejudice and murder in the 1880s West was heartbreaking.
This is historical fiction at its best and I was intrigued and heartbroken.
Thank you to the author for this story and to NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

“She came from a lineage known for good fortune…by those who don't know the whole story.”
This line really showcases the novel and sets the pace for the little underground world of the Shanghai Tunnels. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot as it is super involved, intriguing and interesting.
1988, We find Celia who is the victim of being “shanghaied” and her journey begins in an underground cell. What will she do to save herself? Can she save herself?
I was soon immersed in her story to survive. Thank you McMorris for always giving us unique stories in Historical Fiction. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.