See excels at 'the wordless communion of women,' portraying three disparate personalities drawing strength from and helping each other survive. Moments of beautifully rendered heartbreak will have tremendous appeal for fans of women’s fiction and historical fiction readers interested in Chinese culture.
See's narrative brims with historical detail, including the particulars of Chinese festivals and holidays; ingredients and methods used in traditional Chinese medicine; and the complicated racial dynamics present in a city that was home to Mexicans and Indigenous people as well as Chinese immigrants and white settlers. See writes unflinchingly of the racism faced by people of color and the harsh immigration policies that made life more difficult for Chinese people ... Poignant and fascinating, Daughters of the Sun and Moon is a heart-pounding frontier narrative and a tender tribute to female friendship.
See offers a stunning piece of historical fiction based in truth. It will touch readers with the characters’ resilience, heroism, and devoted friendship.
See’s latest novel exposes a forgotten, ugly chapter in LA history—the brutal 1871 massacre of 18 Chinese immigrant men and boys ... While the author’s female protagonists, inspired by historical figures, are well drawn (kudos to the feisty and determined Petal), most of her male characters—Chinese, Anglo, and Mexican—are as flat and indistinguishable as cardboard. Another drawback is See’s stilted and stylized dialogue, typical of historical fiction but wearying to the modern reader. A flawed but necessary read about a dark moment in American history.
See’s stirring novel (after Lady Tan’s Circle of Women) interweaves the stories of three Chinese immigrants in 19th-century Los Angeles ... See builds a taut story from precise details ... Without minimizing the period’s racism and misogyny, See offers an inspiring vision of female resilience.
