Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghailanders | 2024 | Juli Min | Buy |
Juli Min’s debut novel, Shanghailanders, appeared in 2024 and is set in 1930s Shanghai, a city then divided into foreign-controlled concessions where expatriates from around the world lived alongside the Chinese population. The book takes its title from the colloquial name for the international residents of the city during that era.
The novel uses this rich historical setting to tell a story about identity, displacement, and the complicated power dynamics of colonial life. Min, who has lived in East Asia and works as a Korean-to-English translator, brings a grounded understanding of the region’s history to the book. Shanghailanders has drawn praise for its detailed recreation of a fascinating and often overlooked chapter in modern history.