Kirsty Manning's The Song of the Jade Lily is a fine note on which to end a year of pretty good reads. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read "yet another World War II" book, but the fact that this book was set in Shanghai tipped the scale in this novel's favor. I've known about the Jews who were able to escape Europe by being granted sanctuary in Shanghai. (In fact, I know a gentleman who spent his childhood in Shanghai.) I wanted to see what I could learn from this novel.

Some of the politics about what went on in Shanghai before and during World War II were a bit confusing to me. I probably need to do a bit more research on this time and place. That didn't diminish my reading experience.

After tragedy strikes Romy Bernfeld's family, she and her parents feel lucky to be able to escape to Shanghai. They were lucky to have an Austrian benefactor and then someone else to help them in Shanghai. As such, the Bernfeld's initially live a rather charmed life in Shanghai while Romy's new friend, Nina, from the boat, is living the life of a refugee, in the Shanghai ghetto. Romy becomes friends with a Chinese family. They introduce her to ancient medicine and acupuncture. This family and her parents teach her about loyalty and doing what is right.

As is common with historical fiction novels, Romy's story in Shanghai alternates with her granddaughter's story. Alexandra is recovering from a broken heart, is questioning herself professionally, and is trying to figure out more about her mother's history. Alexandra leaves London to spend some time with her grandparents in Australia. She stays there a little longer after her grandfather dies, and while she's there, she questions some things in her grandparents relationship that she believes might have something to do with her mother's history. As luck would have it, Alexandra's next job assignment is in Shanghai. Not only can she start anew, she'll be able to dig a little deeper into her mother's past.

The Song of the Jade Lily is a story of survival, of friendship, of loyalty and of family. I learned more about what life might have been like for Jews in Shanghai before and during World War II. I was very surprised to learn how anti-immigrant Australia was at that same time. I would definitely recommend this book, but with a caveat. There were some issues with continuity throughout the novel that I sometimes found distracting.