Shanghailanders

As a seasoned movie buff with a penchant for intricate storytelling and a soft spot for family dramas, I must say that Juli Min’s debut novel, Shanghailanders, has left quite an indelible impression on me. The narrative structure, which unfolds in reverse, is nothing short of audacious, akin to watching a time-lapse reel of a family’s life played backwards.


Juli Min’s first novel, “Shanghailanders“, presents a complex family saga unfolding in reverse order. The story opens in 2040 with Leo Yang, a Chinese real estate tycoon growing distant from his sophisticated spouse Eko, their intelligent eldest daughters Yumi and Yoko, and the youngest, Kiko who aspires to be an actress. To enlighten readers about this estrangement, Min provides a glimpse into the past. She delves into crucial episodes in the family’s life, revealing how these events shaped their relationships over time. It becomes evident, as one delves deeper into the book’s intricate narrative, that the Yang family has spent significant parts of the last three decades disintegrating and then reconnecting again.

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2024-11-13 17:06