66 Wine Dine & Travel Winter <strong>2015</strong>
Susan McBeth’s <strong>TRAVEL</strong> BY THE BOOK “China Dolls” by Lisa See The promise of instant, unimaginable wealth lured hundreds of thousands of Forty-Niners to California in the mid-nineteenth century. While most arrived in covered wagons, crossing plains and hills, mountains and deserts, many also traveled by ship across perilous and unforgiving seas in search of what Chinese immigrants called the “Gold Mountain.” A few lucky souls did indeed strike it rich, but for most, disappointment and despair were the only payoff earned in “them thar hills.” And what of those Chinese immigrants and their Gold Mountain? Perhaps you should turn to New York Times bestselling author Lisa See, whose great-great grandfather was integral in the founding of Chinatown Los Angeles, and who has branded herself as an authoritative storyteller of the Chinese immigrant with her deeply-layered characters who reward readers with a rich historicity of fiction. In her most recent novel, China Dolls (Random House, 2014), written in alternating first-person voices by three friends--traditional Helen who comes from a successful merchant family in San Francisco, dreamer Grace who escaped from an abusive home in the Midwest, and fierce Ruby, who is actually Japanese but posing as Chinese--See recreates the Chinese immigrant world of 1938 San Francisco. Initially bonded over their common stigma as outsiders, and exacerbated by the physical attributes that do not allow them to hide their heritage in a biased land, the girls vow to remain steadfast and loyal. They join the “Chop Suey Circuit,” becoming entertainers in forbidden nightclubs in an effort to not only fulfill their dreams, but also to keep hidden secrets they have learned to bury in a world of distrust. By portraying the girls as the serious artists they consider themselves to be in a debauched environment that does not hesitate to take advantage of their wont for success, See successfully renders an authentic historical narrative of pre-WWII “Orientals.” The narrative is peppered with ancillary characters, both historical and fictive, who strengthen that rendering, including the briefest of appearances by Ronald Reagan and Errol Flynn. When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, the fear and paranoia it generates invades their inner circle, as Ruby is sent to an internment camp, and rumors and innuendos abound as to who may have betrayed her. This is where See is at her best, weaving the intricacies of strained friendships, unraveling secrets, and impending war that generate a strong undercurrent of suspicion. Are the girls truly friends, or have they merely been using each other to pursue their own respective ambitions? Yet for all their tribulations, the remuneration these early Chinese immigrants bequeathed is a veritable cornucopia of Chinese food and culture, perhaps not the Gold Mountain they originally sought out, but a treasure indeed. So if you are planning a trip along the Left Coast, stop and enjoy the multi-sensorial explosion of food, culture, history, art, architecture, and shopping that is now Chinatown Los Angeles and Chinatown San Francisco. And take a moment to bow in gratitude to the China Dolls whose sacrifices, challenges, and determination helped make it all possible. ~By Susan McBeth Wine Dine & Travel Winter <strong>2015</strong> 67