One of my favourite things about historical fiction is its ability to shine a light on the people that the history books have, intentionally or otherwise, forgotten. That’s what this book achieves. It highlights the presence and the contribution of Chinese workers to the First World War, specifically in Britain and France.

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Against this backdrop, Janie Chang tells us the story of two women. For much of the book they are apart and do not know each other, but as certain characters start to connect them we get a growing sense for what they have in common. Pauline is escaping an arranged marriage, and Camille is escaping an abusive one, so when their paths do cross it feels like they have a natural kinship as they help each other.

The story was told with a lot of nuance, exploring all different aspects of life as an immigrant in the early 20th Century. It felt very true to life, both the way that characters like Pauline move in society, but also the clashes that can come across generations when reconciling two cultures.

Overall this was a very eye-opening read to an often-forgotten part of history. Certainly in the UK, fiction set in the world wars is incredibly popular, and I hope this book goes a long way to expanding people’s understanding of that time period.

I received a free copy for an honest review.