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The Porcelain Moon
The Porcelain Moon: A Novel of France, the Great War, and Forbidden Love | Janie Chang
8 posts | 7 read | 8 to read
From the critically acclaimed author of The Library of Legends comes a vividly rendered novel set in WWI France about two young women--one Chinese, one French--whose lives intersect with unexpected, potentially dangerous consequences. "East meets West in World War I France. In The Porcelain Moon, Janie Chang exhibits her signature trademarks--lyrical prose, deftly drawn characters, and skillful excavation of little-known history--to give us a rare jewel in a sea of wartime fiction!" -- Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author France, 1918. In the final days of the First World War, a young Chinese woman, Pauline Deng, runs away from her uncle's home in Paris to evade a marriage being arranged for her in Shanghai. To prevent the union, she needs the help of her cousin Theo, who is working as a translator for the Chinese Labour Corps in the French countryside. In the town of Noyelles-sur-Mer, Camille Roussel is planning her escape from an abusive marriage, and to end a love affair that can no longer continue. When Camille offers Pauline a room for her stay, the two women become friends. But it's not long before Pauline uncovers a perilous secret that Camille has been hiding from her. As their dangerous situation escalates, the two women are forced to make a terrible decision that will bind them together for the rest of their lives. Set against the little-known history of the 140,000 Chinese workers brought to Europe as non-combatant labor during WWI, The Porcelain Moon is a tale of forbidden love, identity and belonging, and what we are willing to risk for freedom.
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tpixie
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140,000 Chinese men formed the French & British Chinese Labor Corps during WWI. The British headquarters were in Noyelles-Sur-Mer, France because it was by a railroad line as well as near a forest, which was an important source of timber. During & after the war, these men repaired railway lines, tanks, cleaned up battlefields, dead bodies, and the rubble from devastated towns. #NeverForget #LitsyBookClub

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tpixie
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Great storytelling by Janie Chang. I didn‘t know the Allies during WWI used Chinese men as labor in Europe to quickly rebuild trains, cannons, tanks, railways destroyed by the Germans.
( St Sulpice in Paris) #litsybookclub

Suet624 I didn‘t know that either! 7mo
tpixie @Suet624 the Chinese were paid, but due to language barriers, weren‘t treated well. It‘s the background of this story. I‘m looking forward to reading her book she wrote with Kate Quinn. (edited) 7mo
41 likes2 comments
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Daisey
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this historical novel set in WWI France. Pauline is a Chinese woman who came to Paris to work with her uncle in a store selling Chinese goods and antiquities. Camille is a French woman living in the French countryside near the headquarters of the Chinese Labour Corps. Their lives are brought together by Theo, Pauline‘s cousin, serving as a Chinese interpreter.

#LitsyBookClub #WWI

tpixie Glad you enjoyed it. Sad I will miss our discussion tomorrow! 7mo
tpixie ( I am enjoying a trip to Charleston & Savannah with my sister, so I shouldn‘t complain. But, I will miss visiting with my #LitsyBookClub friends! One of my few ‘social events‘ ☺️) 7mo
46 likes2 comments
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tpixie
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Reading & learning about the history of 140,000 Chinese workers brought to Europe as noncombatant labor during World War I. This is a part of history I never knew about. #LitsyBookclub #DogsOfLitsy

tpixie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 😊 she sticks close! 🐶 7mo
Daisey I haven‘t had a lot of time to read, but I‘ve started this one and am enjoying it. 7mo
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tpixie @Daisey yes I‘m still early into the book as well. I did love her writing in 7mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 7mo
Graciouswarriorprincess @Daisey @tpixie I hope to start it tomorrow. 7mo
tpixie @dabbe 🩷🐶🩷 7mo
52 likes8 comments
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JMPemberton
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Pickpick

I love Historical Fiction so much because it allows me to hear stories about events and experiences I knew nothing of before. At school we learnt ‘all about‘ the two World Wars…or so I thought. Never were we told about all the foreign labourers from China in their 100‘s of thousands who came to assist the allies. This books tells you about it and appears very well researched. I‘m fascinated to learn more now. It‘s also beautifully written too.

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Mpcacher
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Pickpick

This is a novel set France during WWI and follows the lives of two women. It also introduced me to the fact that 140,000 Chinese men were brought to Europe to work in non-combatant, but still dangerous jobs, during that time. It is a powerful & entertaining story that was only slightly marred by some some jumps in time that had me backtracking a bit to follow things. That said, I really enjoyed it and have become a fan of this author. 4.5/5

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KristiAhlers
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Pickpick

I managed to get this ARC at work and I have to say this story was fresh and different. Written from the POV of a Chinese female immigrant in 1918 we experience her bold move to runaway from an arranged marriage and how this leads her to new friends and even a romance. Strong historical fiction read.

TheKidUpstairs Just found out about this one. I love Janie Chang, glad to see this one is a pick! 2y
50 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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GerardtheBookworm
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Pickpick

Fascinating piece of historical fiction. In 1918, a young Chinese woman runs off to Paris with the aid of her cousin to escape an arranged marriage and befriends an abused French socialite who helps the European war effort during WW1. Intrigue and romance follow and sheds a light on the Asian immigrants who assisted on the war front during the conflict.

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