The Last Rose of Shanghai
By Weina Dai Randel
Publication Date: 1st December 2021
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Page Length: 429 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
In Japanese-occupied Shanghai, two people from different cultures are drawn together by fate and the freedom of music...
1940.
Aiyi Shao is a young heiress and the owner of a formerly popular and glamorous Shanghai nightclub. Ernest Reismann is a penniless Jewish refugee driven out of Germany, an outsider searching for shelter in a city wary of strangers. He loses nearly all hope until he crosses paths with Aiyi. When she hires Ernest to play piano at her club, her defiance of custom causes a sensation. His instant fame makes Aiyi's club once again the hottest spot in Shanghai. Soon they realize they share more than a passion for jazz—but their differences seem insurmountable, and Aiyi is engaged to another man.
As the war escalates, Aiyi and Ernest find themselves torn apart, and their choices between love and survival grow more desperate. In the face of overwhelming odds, a chain of events is set in motion that will change both their lives forever.
From the electrifying jazz clubs to the impoverished streets of a city under siege, The Last Rose of Shanghai is a timeless, sweeping story of love and redemption.
"Weina Dai Randel's poignant, sweeping love story paints a vibrant portrait of a little-known slice of World War II history. Not to be missed!"
Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Huntress
"A powerful story of the relationship between a Shanghai heiress and a Jewish refugee...one readers will never forget."
Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star
"A must-read for historical fiction lovers. Filled with page-turning suspense and a poignant and unforgettable love story, Weina Dai Randel wholly immerses the reader in this richly detailed and powerfully drawn story."
Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
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WEINA DAI RANDEL is the award-winning author of historical novel series The Empress of Bright Moon, historical novels about the first female emperor Wu Zetian in China. The first novel, The Moon in the Palace, was the winner of RWA RITA® Award in 2017, Goodreads Choice Awards nominee and a RT Book Reviewers Choice Award nominee. It was called one of the “most beautifully written, impeccably researched and well-constructed historical fiction novels released this year” by Book Reporter, named as one of the Biggest Historical Fiction books of 2016 by Bookbub, and recommended by Texas Library Association’s 2017 Lariat Reading List.
The two novels have been translated into 7 languages and sold worldwide.
Weina was born and raised in China. English is her second language. She first studied English in middle school in China and came to the U.S. at the age of twenty-four. She holds an M.A. in English from Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. It took her ten years to research and write The Moon in the Palace. Find more about Weina on her website.
Thank you for sharing. This novel sounds right up my street!
ReplyDeleteIt does sound really good.
DeleteI have read this book, I thought it was brilliant. A real page-turner.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like a good read.
DeleteI am so glad you enjoyed it, Gemma.
DeleteAnother book to add to my ever growing to-read list. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete