A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 4th of December 2023

5 out of 5 stars

The Shanghai Circle is a historical fiction novel written by Tony Henderson. It follows the themes of the financial and economic hardships in the 1930s, and how the locals and foreigners face adventures in their lives.

The main characters of this novel are Joseph, Davina, and Irina. Joseph is heir to being a triad in the Sung Society. Davina is heiress to her father’s hotel business in Shanghai, where she was born and brought up. Irina is a Russian with a troubled past, and ends up in Shanghai with trials and tribulations.

As soon as I read the first pages, the author flung me into the hot and ruthless landscapes of Shanghai. I have never visited an Asian city, and yet, I could clearly picture everything as it was written in front of my eyes. The descriptions are amazing. They are short, beautiful, and to the point, and captured my attention as I read.
The chapters are short and many, but the content within is just the right amount for a chapter. Despite having multiple point of views, the author does a good job in describing the complexities of every character in all settings.

Both the ladies, Davina, and Irina, have interesting characters. In fact, I was surprised at the depth and complexity in which both these women were written, for I have not read such a book in a while. Even though they are written in a time more than seventy years old, some of the women’s problems are very familiar to my own as modern woman. One of those problems is the presence of a woman in a male-dominated business world. I like how the writer captured the true essence of a woman’s thoughts.

The premise of the book is at a very slow pace, and might be irritating to some. While the description is amazing, one would not want to wait so many pages for the drama and thrill in the story to begin. Other than this, I believe there are no negative aspects to the book.

Taking all these factors into consideration, I would like to rate this book five out of five. I recommend this book to those seeking an immersive journey in a vividly depicted past, and would want to have an experience that lingers beyond the pages.

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