Upon The Sea

Fantastic setting, beautifully drawn characters - certainly the best novel I have read for quite some time - five stars. Alice Pickard - author. Gorgeously constructed, beautifully written, Upon The Sea is one of the best and most original novels I have ever read. Kate Baldwin - author. Upon The Sea is one of the most entertaining novels I have ever read. Leon Carter - authorShanghai 1935, Paris of the East, Whore of the East.
Young expat Matthew Clark, having learned the language and some customs, arrives in Shanghai determined to conduct business honourably. Newly released from jail, Li Yunhe changes her name to Lan Ping and sets out to become a professional actor. She gains lead role in a play to rave reviews, meets and dates a young rising star, and soon finds herself acting in movies. But Ping's an unconventional young woman, even by Shanghai's hedonistic standards, where her life becomes ever more chaotic as she struggles to keep her head above water.
Matthew falls in love with taxi girl Mai Jing and they soon become part of the expat social scene of Shanghai, attending balls and functions. But when Jing's sister Binbin has problems with her gangster husband, Jing and Matthew have no choice but to descend into Shanghai's dark underworld with all the danger that entails. Upon The Sea is a story of relationships, set Shanghai in its heyday.