Rated of 5
by Burlingame Reader Bummer!
Sadly, I was disappointed in this book. I wanted to like it. I wanted to love it. But....something was missing. The author tried to tie up the the loose ends but that made things even more confusing with more story lines added in.
Rated of 5
by Jeanette L. (Marietta, GA - Georgia) All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson
The story is told as a letter from Feng, the main character, to the daughter she abandoned at birth, thru flash backs we learn the story of her arranged marriage to the Sang family whose humiliations and cruelty turn Feng into a bitter, revengeful woman. All the flowers in Shanghai is full of tradition to not “ lose face” half way thru the story we are shown bits of Chairman Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution and the birth of the People’s Republic of China and some of the terror of his regime. Feng is hard to love after her transformation from a sweet, quiet girl into a mean spirited, bitter and regretful woman. Book clubs will love this book; analyzing Feng should lead to great discussions
Rated of 5
by Patricia M. (Davidson, North Carolina) A Mesmerizing Book
This beautifully written book could be categorized as Historical Fiction. I couldn't wait to read it each day. It depicts the Chinese people during a time before the Revolution. A very intimate portrayal and the reader becomes immersed in their everyday lives. The author brings you right into the story. I shed a tear when I finished the book as I didn't want it to end.
Rated of 5
by Sara S. (Murfreesboro, TN) Moving
All the Flowers in Shanghai was a thoughtful book that displays the impact of one's environment. Feng's character is a complex yet naive woman, who eventually breaks through her imposed shell.
I appreciated reading this book, and look forward to more from this author. The subtle beauty was divine...
Rated of 5
by Ann W. (new york, NY) All the Flowers in Shanghai
I read the whole book however, I was often annoyed. I had problems with Feng---she never grow while many of the others around her were more nuanced. Yes, Chinese tradition(s) are very different but in Shanghai, there was more awareness of a world beyond---even if one could only see it at a distant. Also, Feng's sudden realization of the world was unconvincing. Overall, however, I found the book provocative and thought about it.
Rated of 5
by Juddith B. (Omaha, Nebraska) Visitor to China Shanghai's Multiple Stories
In his author's insight, Jepson states that in writing this book he wanted "to explore Chinese attitudes toward motherhood, children, and family." It is a story with multiple intentions. It can be viewed as a book about hatred, an expose of the Chinese opinion that women and children are replaceable, or as a story of cowardice.
The city of Shanghai features as a dominate character. The storyline begins with a traditional Shanghai in 1932, and presents a diverse city with traditional Chinese values encountering European influences to the extent that locals cannot even take rooms in the luxury hotels. Shanghai moves from a city of elegance to a city busy with new hostilities after the Revolution.
Running through the plot is a unifying reference to flowers. Feng's story begins in a garden with her beloved grandfather teaching her the Latin names of flowers. Throughout the book we encounter phrases such as "First Wife's breath was like a stale flower."
As a debut novel Jepson does an admirable job of telling the story through the voice of a woman. Along with her story we get bits of wisdom suitable for framing, such as "You must live because someone wants you to live" and "Change becomes acceptable once you are accustomed to change itself."
Unlike so many descriptions of Mao's China that cover the punishments dealt to intellectuals, the focus here is on the poor peasants. In this case it is a group of older women who become a full production unit charged with sewing trousers and shirts for the new order. They are told that there must be more enthusiasm for scarves as they are a unifying symbol of the movement. They take Feng in when she flees Shanghai, and they must all unlearn everything they had ever known: traditions, supersititions, and old philosophies. They become consumed by productivity.
The book begins with Feng addressing someone. "I still know your face. I see it clearly as it was at the very beginning, not how it was left after I had hurt you." The reader does not get information about the identity of this face until the last third of the book.
All in all, it is a good read albeit a bit ambitious in its scope.
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Burlingame Reader 
of 5
by Jeanette L. (Marietta, GA - Georgia) 
of 5
by Patricia M. (Davidson, North Carolina) 
