Books like The painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein
First publish date: 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Jennifer Cody Epstein
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Books similar to The painter from Shanghai (16 similar books)
In 1862, Abraham Lincoln’s son Willie dies and finds himself in a Tibetan bardo, where ghosts, grief and battle over a young boy’s soul blend absurdity with the horror of loss.
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In nineteenth‑century China, Lily, a humble farmer’s daughter, discovers her feet will be unbindable—good fortune for her marriage—and meets Snow Flower, an educated classmate, whose nu shu letters deepen a secret friendship that endures the hardships of feudal life.
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In war‑torn 1937 Shanghai, sisters Pearl and May Beware find their lives turned upside down when their father’s debts force them into marriage and migration to Los Angeles, where they confront love, identity, and the clash between old traditions and new freedoms.
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In the Elizabethan‑age setting of England’s Wars of the Roses, Philippa Gregory chronicles the rise of Elizabeth Woodville from lady-in-waiting to queen, exposing the political intrigue and personal turmoil that shaped the era.
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Dan Simmons’ historical thriller follows Charles Dickens after a train accident in 1865, reexamining his life, London society, and the unresolved mystery of his final unfinished novel.
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Mario Puzo traces the rise of the Borgia family, revealing the intertwined forces of ambition, faith, and power that shaped one of Italy’s most notorious dynasties.
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Set in seventeenth‑century China after the Manchu conquest, Lisa See’s *Peony in Love* follows a young noblewoman who, forbidden from public life, finds forbidden inspiration in a live performance of the classic opera *The Peony Pavilion* and embarks on a journey of longing, love, and destiny.
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In 1855 Lucy Lobdell cuts her hair, adopts a male persona, and boldly gains freedoms forbidden to women—traveling solo, carrying a rifle, drinking in bars, and forming same‑gender relationships—while confronting public scorn and a nascent understanding of her own sexual identity.
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A Chinese mother and her adopted daughter, raised by an American couple, discover how a rare native tea links their worlds and transforms their family's destiny across cultures.
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In fifteenth‑century Rome, Spanish Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI, wielding papal power to advance his Italian city's fortunes through his ruthless family—sons Cesare and daughter Lucrezia—against a backdrop of corruption and ambition.
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Mary Beth Keane’s *Fever* brings the true story of Typhoid Mary to life, exploring her role as a covert public health threat in early 20th‑century America.
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Set in Georgian London, the novel follows Samuel Johnson as he becomes entwined with the lively Thrale household, exploring his growing friendship with Mrs. Thrale and the literary circle that surrounds them.
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The Passion of Artemisia follows the life of the 17th‑century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi as she confronts sexual violence, societal judgment, and the struggle to balance artistic ambition with motherhood.
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A biographical historical novel that follows the budding friendship between a teenage Louise Brooks and a middle‑aged chaperone as they travel to New York City in 1922, showing how the journey reshapes their lives.
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A biographical historical fiction that follows Mallory’s third and final attempt to climb Mount Everest, weaving his 1924 expedition with personal themes of marriage and family life.
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Some Other Similar Books
The Orchid and the Crow by Monique TruongThe Last Empress by Sarlet Hussey
The Chinese Widow by Xiaolu Guo
River Town: A New Life in China by Peter Hessler
The Empress of China by S.J. Kincaid
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