Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

A good immigrant story provides description of assimilation, insight into a foreign culture, and a new perspective on one's own culture. Shanghai Girls does not disappoint in these respects, but goes further with the portrayal of a complex relationship between two sisters who are both very close and very different from each other. Pearl and May Chin work as models in Shanghai until their father hastily marries them off to a Chinese-American family. Their trip to America is hampered by the fact that China in 1937 was being invaded by the Japanese. Their life in Los Angeles is burdened with economic and immigration problems. Their story is a real page-turner with lots of food for thought.