Helpful Score: 1
Duncan Jepson shows promise as a writer in this debut novel; unfortunately, most of the material in this book has been done too often to make All The Flowers in Shanghai memorable. It is the story of Feng, who steps in as the reluctant bride in an arranged marriage when her older sister dies. Feng spends a lot of time pining for a young man she knew briefly before her marriage and life within a wealthy home dominated by her father-in-law. There are glimpses of Chinese history that make the story line more interesting, but ultimately the characters are stereotypical and without much substance.
