Author Interview with Lisa See about her new novel China Dolls.

Lisa See is a New York Times bestselling author with an impressive list of books. To name a few: Shanghai Girls, the sequel Dreams of Joy, Snowflower and the Secret Fan and most recent, China Dolls, which tells the story of three Chinese-American young woman set against the Oriental nightclub world of San Francisco in 1938, and the start of the war between the USA and Japan. I am very pleased to welcome Lisa on the blog for an interview about China Dolls, welcome Lisa!!

In writing China Dolls where did you start? Where did you find inspiration for the characters and the story?

 I started with the idea that I wanted to write about three friends.  That triangle is so complicated – for men and women!  I recently learned that NASA even did a study on the subject and learned that they should always send two not three astronauts into space, because otherwise the two-against-one scenario always arises.

But I’d also been thinking about writing about the Chinese-American nightclub scene of the 1930s and 1940s for years.  I have fans who have sent me photos of their mothers, aunts, fathers, and uncles who performed. There were so many great stories. I also felt that if I didn’t do this now, then I might not have a chance to interview some of the earliest performers.  I interviewed Dorothy Toy and Mary Ong Tom when they were 93; I interviewed Mai Tai Sing and Trudi Long when they were 88.  Happily they’re all still alive today, but I count myself very fortunate to have captured their stories and had a chance to experience their humor, courage, and persistence firsthand.  Those four women were my greatest inspiration for China Dolls.  

 What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological and logistical) in bringing the book to life?

Every novel has its own set of challenges, and China Dolls was no different.  I actually wrote the entire first draft solely from Grace’s perspective.  When I got to the end, Helen and Ruby were practically screaming in my ear to be heard.  So I started again at page one and listened to every place where one of the other characters was demanding to be heard.  (I know.  I sound like a crazy person in a way.  Like Sybil with all her different personalities!) In the end, China Dolls ended up with what I hope are three very strong and unique voices.

The logistical stuff is just that.  It doesn’t bother me one way or another.  It’s kind of like dusting.  It’s methodical but calming too in a way.  You just keep at it – and the research too – and it will get done.  It pays to be patient.

The psychological stuff is probably the same for me as for every writer.  I need to open myself up and be vulnerable not only in the writing but by putting a novel out into the world.  It’s always hard to go to dark or sad places in the writing.  It’s always hard to wait for reviews – some of which will be good and some of which will inevitably be bad.  But I know it’s better to be open and be hurt than to close myself off. (Not that it’s a picnic by any means…)

What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the significant highlights along the way?

Hmmm...  This is a little hard to answer.  I usually have a project in the back of my mind for many years before I decide that this is the one I’m going to write or that I’m ready internally to write it.  I had this idea floating around in my head and was collecting bits of information about it for five years or so before I committed.  Writing a novel isn’t a one-night stand, you know!  We’re in it together for the long haul, so we’d both – the idea and me – better be sure!  Once I decided that China Dolls was the one, then it took about three years.

The highlights were meeting the incredible women performers.  I also loved talking to the sons and daughters of performers who had grown up backstage or had traveled in the backseat of the family car as their parents went from club to club across the country in the so-called Chop-Suey Circuit.   I remember the story of one little boy who always used to get in trouble for peeking out the stage curtain at the back side – the naked side – of a particular fan dancer.  There’s a lot of darkness – secrets and tragedies – in China Dolls, but stories like that always lifted my spirits.

What do you want people to take away from reading China Dolls?

Every reader is different, and every reader takes away something different. If I do say so myself – and I guess I am saying so, ha! – there’s a little something for everyone in China Dolls.  So… If you like dancing, there’s dancing.  If you like backstage stories, there’s that.  If you like stories about friendship, I think you’ll find that this is a very different take on the dark shadow side of friendship.  The novel is set during one of the most transformative periods in our history – the end of the Depression, World War II, and the adoption of television into our homes in a big way.  In the decade from 1938 to 1948, we, as Americans, changed how we looked at each other, at the world, what we ate, how we dressed, how we spent time with our families, and how we spent our leisure time.  So there’s lots of stuff to learn and discover in these pages. Lastly, if you like to have a good cry when you’re reading a book, then China Dolls is the book for you!

What is your next project?

I’ve finished most of the research for the next novel, and I can tell you a few things even though I don’t know exactly yet how it will all fit together.  The Fox Spirit of Hummingbird Lane (working title) has three main elements:  fox spirits, the mother/daughter relationship, and tea.  Fox spirits can be naughty or nice, and their main desire is to become human.  For the mother/daughter story, I want to write about a woman who gives up her baby for adoption in China, the woman in California who adopts her, and the girl herself.  Tea will provide the historical backdrop. Tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water.  I recently returned from the birthplace of tea in the mountains of Yunnan.  I’m so excited about this new novel.  I think it’s going to be great!