Daughters of Shandong

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung is a powerful debut novel inspired by the author’s family story. Set in 1948 during China’s Communist revolution, it follows a mother and her four daughters from the wealthy Ang family, who are abandoned by their relatives because they failed to produce a male heir. When the Communist army seizes their land, the eldest daughter, Hai, is punished for her family’s “crimes.” Barely surviving, she and her mother realize they must flee. Together, the women forge papers and embark on a dangerous journey from rural Shandong through Qingdao, British Hong Kong, and eventually to Taiwan.

Through their struggle for survival and freedom, they witness the upheaval of a nation while redefining their own worth and independence. Told in vivid, moving prose, the novel explores resilience, courage, and the enduring bond between mothers, daughters, and sisters during a time of war and revolution.