1920s Shanghai is not a place for the fainthearted. The city is split down the middle between two gangs, the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, and the streets are perpetually stained crimson with blood. 18-year-old Juliette Cai, the heir of the Scarlet Gang and a former American flapper, holds a personal grudge against the White Flowers — after all, its heir gifted her with a love laced with betrayal. But there’s much more to worry about besides the blood feud — foreigners overstepping their bounds, an impending civil war, and something more sinister in the shadows.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, written by Grace Lin, is a fantasy novel inspired by Chinese mythology and folklore. The book follows Minli, a young girl who lives in the Village of Fruitless Mountain, working hard and farming despite the terrible land of the Fruitless Mountain. Her father tells her stories and she wishes to have an adventure of her own. One day, she uses her money to buy a goldfish, and it turns out that the goldfish can talk.
The companion novel to Saints, this book looks at the same situation from a different angle. Little Bao has grown up reenacting his favorite Chinese operas and looking up to his father. When his father is hobbled by European colonists, Bao's older brothers take over the family, relegating Bao to the role of little brother. In secret he trains with a martial arts master, and quickly out paces his brothers.
Four Girl is unwanted and unloved by her family. Seen as a demon-child, her family practically gives her up as a lost cause. Four girl, searching for acceptance discovers catholic missionaries near her small Chinese village. After one exceptionally harsh experience with her grandfather, Four runs into the forest and sees a vision of Jeanne D'Arc. As Four distances herself from her family, and grows closer to the missionaries visions of Jeanne come more often, offering peace and guidance.
