In 1937 Shanghai—the Paris of Asia—twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree—until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth. To repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are—Shanghai girls.

Lonely Planet Shanghai
Stroll along the stately Bund and gawk at the futuristic neon of Pudong
Escape the skyscrapers into the tree-lined French Concession's hip eateries and vogue boutiques
Haggle with hawkers over a must-have cheongsam (Chinese dress) or handmade yak scarves
Meet some of the 19 million inhabitants through interviews with a boutique owner, and art professor and others
In This Guide:
Chinese characters throughout the book and on many maps makes navigating Shanghai easy
Bonus color chapter on Shanghai's glittering architecture
Expanded coverage of outlying destinations, including rural Lizhang and lush Putuoshan

Starring: Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li, John Cusack, Ken Watanabe DVD Region: Region A - Ensure that your Blu-Ray player plays Region A discs Languages: Mandarin and English Subtitles: English, Traditional Chinese DVD Audio: Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital 5.1 Running Time: 105 minutes Format: NTSC