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Shanghailanders: A Novel (2024)

By Juli Min

Shanghailanders: A Novel is Juli Min’s debut novel. The story is centered around the Yang family. Leo Yang is a successful real estate investor in Shanghai who fell in love with a Japanese-French woman named Eko. Eko is a successful embroidery designer through her social media. Eko and Leo have three beautiful daughters, each with secrets they do not want to disclose to others.

The story starts in present-day Shangai in 2040, but the Yang family’s past is revealed as the story progresses. The Yang family is dysfunctional as their daughters rarely get along and have dark secrets that they do not want to reveal to others. In addition, Leo and Eko’s marriage is broken, plagued with arguments and infidelity. Hence, as a reader, you wonder how their family ended up like this.

Every chapter gives readers context clues, inviting them to make assumptions about what happens between each family member. Furthermore, each chapter is told from a different perspective or character; thus, it provides a more unbiased view of the Yang family.

There’s plenty of social commentary on women’s identity regarding their roles in marriage and their bodies. Eko’s marriage to Leo is rocky, as they have lost interest in each other. She has experienced emotional abuse from Leo. Leo always criticizes Eko’s parenting skills and career, resulting in Eko feeling resentment and regret towards her decision to marry him. Lastly, their arguments led to their children having a pessimistic view of the world and a dysfunctional relationship with one another.

The sisters do not get along with one another. Without going into too much detail, the sisters experience a traumatic incident where the girls are running away from their parents because of their constant arguing. This moment left the sisters to live with trauma, unable to cope with it properly.

The sisters also have dark secrets. Yoko is currently in college and accidentally gets pregnant. Yoko and her mother, Eko, fly to France to get an abortion without the other family members knowing. As for the youngest sibling, Kiko, she has a secret social media account where she posts erotic pictures of herself. Although some may find it a bit concerning, Kiko feels empowered, having control over her body.

Shanghailanders: A Novel is a family drama. Each family member experiences generations worth of trauma and is unable to cope with it. I found the ending completely shocking, but it was insightful for me to understand the bigger picture and message of the novel. It’s the subtle moments, whether good or bad, that shape a person and how they interact with the world and those around them.

4/5