Shanghai Girls

Shanghai Girls is another book on my list of China books.


I wasn't a fan of Lisa See's Peony in Love or Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, so I'm not really sure why I gave Shanghai Girls a chance. But, I am glad I did.

Shanghai Girls is the story of two sisters who leave Shanghai as the Japanese were invading. They emigrate to the United States and live the immigrant experience in Los Angeles. When I read books about immigration, it makes me so sad. The immigrants were treated so terribly.

If you like historical fiction, pick it up. It's a great story of struggle, family, and hope.

The sisters went through Angel Island (the Ellis Island of the west) before being allowed to go to LA. When we were in San Francisco I would have loved to visit Angel Island, but we didn't have enough time.

Veil of Roses

Veil of Roses is an interesting book. It is the story of an Iranian woman who visits her sister in the US with the intention of finding an Iranian man to marry so she doesn't have to return to Iran.

It's a weird (and for me, successful) mix of serious gender issues, life in Iran, immigration to the US, a friendship story, and chick lit. I know, weird. The portrayal of life in Iran fit with other books I've read: Persepolis, Funny in Farsi, and Girls of Riyadh (which I know is in Saudi Arabia, not Iran.) The fish out of water bits were funny and the love story really cute.

Be prepared for the odd mix of silly love story and serious issues relating to Iran. But, definitely pick it up!

Persepolis

Last year I picked up a graphic novel for the first time. I actually picked it up on accident. Evan and I were in DC at the Air and Space Museum. We popped into the gift shop as it was closing. I saw Laika by Nick Abadzis and grabbed it. I didn't pick it up to look at it for a few months and when I did, I thought, "Ooops." But since I already owned it, I figured I'd try it out. Little did I expect, I really enjoyed it.

Since then I've read several graphic novels. Maus by Art Spiegelman came highly recommended. I thought it was wonderful.

Another book that was also suggested was Persepolis. It's the author's memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, the Iran/Iraq War, and the years following those events. It's the story of an independent intelligent young woman trying to be herself both in the process of growing up and in the middle of an Iran that is politically and socially limiting. To me, it was also the story of her relationship with her wonderful parents. I loved them.

The book's setting of Iran during this time period was so interesting. The politics aren't described in great detail, but social issues certainly are. The stringent guidelines that were placed on society weren't surprising since I knew some about Iran, but still very intriguing.

Books in Class

It's the end of another semester! Woo hoo!

This semester I've taught a political science class using movies and books. When I was in college, I took a Politics in Film and Literature class and loved it. I was really glad to have the opportunity to create my own such class and be able to teach something new.

The books:

• Lord of the Flies, William Golding
• The Help, Kathryn Stockett
• Funny in Farsi, Firoozeh Dumas
• Down and Out in Paris and London, George Orwell
• The Invisible Man, HG Wells
• Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich

The students' favorite was Funny in Farsi. Funny in Farsi is Dumas's memoir about immigrating to the United States from Iran. The book is hilarious while talking about serious issues relating to immigration and learning a new culture. It's an easy read that is really informative. You'll cringe for Dumas at times, but be cheering her along the whole way.

Another well-liked book was Down and Out in Paris and London. This one surprised me a bit. I love Orwell, but I didn't expect it to be so popular with my students. It is a semi-autobiographical story of someone living on the economic edge in Paris and London. In the Paris section, which was the best liked of the two, the narrator works at the bottom of the restaurant rung as a dishwasher. The kids, many of whom work very menial jobs, really identified with this lifestyle. The narrator talks about how food is thrown against the walls and dropped on the floor. Unfortunately, one of my students said this happened frequently at his job, but wouldn't tell us where he worked. Smart on his part, sad on mine. Not that I really kid myself about what happens in restaurant kitchens...

I will be teaching this course again next spring. If you've got any suggestions for other books, let me know. I'm looking for books that aren't inherently political, but cover political issues (immigration, economy, etc.) Overall it was really fun to do. The first semester with a new class is always the hardest, but think the students enjoyed it and next time will be better!