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140,000 Chinese men formed the French & British Chinese Labor Corps during WWI. The British headquarters were in Noyelles-Sur-Mer, France because it was by a railroad line as well as near a forest, which was an important source of timber. During & after the war, these men repaired railway lines, tanks, cleaned up battlefields, dead bodies, and the rubble from devastated towns. #NeverForget #LitsyBookClub

Great storytelling by Janie Chang. I didn‘t know the Allies during WWI used Chinese men as labor in Europe to quickly rebuild trains, cannons, tanks, railways destroyed by the Germans.
( St Sulpice in Paris) #litsybookclub

I enjoyed this historical novel set in WWI France. Pauline is a Chinese woman who came to Paris to work with her uncle in a store selling Chinese goods and antiquities. Camille is a French woman living in the French countryside near the headquarters of the Chinese Labour Corps. Their lives are brought together by Theo, Pauline‘s cousin, serving as a Chinese interpreter.

#LitsyBookClub #WWI

Reading & learning about the history of 140,000 Chinese workers brought to Europe as noncombatant labor during World War I. This is a part of history I never knew about. #LitsyBookclub #DogsOfLitsy

I love Historical Fiction so much because it allows me to hear stories about events and experiences I knew nothing of before. At school we learnt ‘all about‘ the two World Wars…or so I thought. Never were we told about all the foreign labourers from China in their 100‘s of thousands who came to assist the allies. This books tells you about it and appears very well researched. I‘m fascinated to learn more now. It‘s also beautifully written too.

This is a novel set France during WWI and follows the lives of two women. It also introduced me to the fact that 140,000 Chinese men were brought to Europe to work in non-combatant, but still dangerous jobs, during that time. It is a powerful & entertaining story that was only slightly marred by some some jumps in time that had me backtracking a bit to follow things. That said, I really enjoyed it and have become a fan of this author. 4.5/5

I managed to get this ARC at work and I have to say this story was fresh and different. Written from the POV of a Chinese female immigrant in 1918 we experience her bold move to runaway from an arranged marriage and how this leads her to new friends and even a romance. Strong historical fiction read.

Fascinating piece of historical fiction. In 1918, a young Chinese woman runs off to Paris with the aid of her cousin to escape an arranged marriage and befriends an abused French socialite who helps the European war effort during WW1. Intrigue and romance follow and sheds a light on the Asian immigrants who assisted on the war front during the conflict.