The Painter From Shanghai
Jennifer Cody Epstein
Reviewed by Terry Studer
The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein is an incredible
journey of one woman and the totally different lives she lives. A novel
of innocence, hope, determination, abuse, sadness, betrayal and death
keep the reader thoroughly ensconced from the very first page.
Yuliang is was put in the care of her uncle at the age of just 6 upon
her mother's death. Innocent but with some learning in the way of
embroidery her uncle sees in her a promise of something better than he
has and educates her in poem's, culture and all the things a young
female child should be taught to make her a perfect wife.
Poor Yuliang does not know what is happening to her at the age of
fourteen when her uncle takes her away from the sheltered life in which
she has been living for the last eight years. He leads her to believe
that she is going to a place where she can learn embroidery but it is
not long before she finds out just how different life's surprises can
truly be. Will she hate him for what is about to happen to her or will
she forgive him for what fate has in store for her?
Post WWI was a difficult time for most countries but even more so for
China. Internal power struggles for leadership make life very dangerous
for anyone and everyone. However, it also provides opportunities for
those who are smart enough and daring enough to take them. But even so,
life is in itself nothing more than a vicious circle. Yuliang finds
this out very quickly once she is sold and must completely discard her
old life, the one of her childhood and family. To her uncle she is no
more, to her new owner she is a daughter of prostitution. Her only
value is her body and how much money she will bring into her new family.
During Yuliang's teen years she learns what it takes to be the "Top
Girl" and when the opportunity presents itself she takes on the role
but with such loss and heartache that she becomes less of herself and
more of just a shell, numb and without feeling for others. Her internal
struggles continue while she learns and does what she needs to survive.
She takes the occasional stand and is beaten for it, but in her eyes it
is worth it as everything comes with a price.
Just by chance a new opportunity presents itself and Yuliang jumps at
it. This will give her a new life of choice, education, love and
happiness which is rare for a prostitute. She will come to see things
in a different light. Not just the usual black and white, but shades of
gray, depth and an upside down, inside out reality that the normal
person can't see or just takes for granted.
The author has given us history, art, music, oppression, depression,
abuse, choice, life and death in what seems such a short span but with
a precision of the most accomplished writer. I am not a movie person so
to speak but if I could vote on one novel to become a wonderful
rendition of words to screen I would have to cast my vote with this
wonderful piece of creativeness.