An Evening with Weina Dai Randel
May 7, 2022 – 7:00 PM
Congregation Kol Ami – 1887 Timber Creek Road – Flower Mound, Texas 75028
Register/Purchase Tickets Here!
Congregation Kol Ami is proud to welcome back former congregant and author, Weina Randel. In conjunction with the release of her latest book, The Last Rose of Shanghai, we have arranged for a book discussion with Ms. Randel. Please join us to learn more about this outstanding novel and meet her. You will have an opportunity to discuss the novel as well as the unique Jewish and Chinese perspectives. Tickets are free for all Congregation Kol Ami members and $5.00 per person for the general public.
Weina Dai Randel is the award-winning author of three novels, The Last Rose of Shanghai, The Moon in the Palace, and The Empress of Bright Moon, a historical duology about Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor. Weina is the winner of the RWA RITA Award, a National Jewish Book Awards finalist, a Goodreads Choice Award semifinalist, and a RT Book Reviewers Choice Award nominee. Her books have been translated into eleven languages.
Born in China, Weina came to the United States at twenty-four, when she switched to English and began to speak, write and dream in her second language. She holds an MA in English from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. She has worked as the subject-matter expert for Southern New Hampshire University’s MFA program and as an adjunct professor for Eastfield College. Interviews with Weina have appeared on WFAA’s Good Morning Texas and in such publications as World Literature Today, China Daily, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, and RT Book Reviews. Weina was a resident of Flower Mound for almost twenty years. She now resides in Boston with her loving husband, two children, and a family of chipmunks in the backyard.
Reviews and honors of The Last Rose of Shanghai:
- National Jewish Book Awards Finalist
- Bustle’s Most Anticipated Novels in December of 2021
- WildChina Book Club’s Best Historical Fiction on China in 2021
- Undemosticated’s Best Fiction in 2021
“Fans of sweeping, dramatic WWII epics that are rich in historical detail, such as Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls or Paullina Simons’s The Bronze Horseman will be enthralled.” —Booklist
“Weina Dai Randel’s novel deserves a place of distinction among WWII fiction.” —Historical Novel Society
“The Last Rose of Shanghai is a powerful story of the relationship between a Shanghai heiress and a Jewish refugee, set against the backdrop of a nightclub in China on the eve of the Second World War. Weina Dai Randel skillfully shines a light on a little-known moment in history through the lens of two vividly drawn characters whose unique and unexpected relationship is one readers will never forget.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star
“Set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, this is an unforgettable, page-turning tale of an impossible affair between lovers from two cultures. Randel casts an unflinching eye at the horrors of wartime Shanghai, where refugees starve while the wealthy and privileged continue to drink and dance, and where daily threats of danger and death only serve to fan forbidden passions to a blazing climax.” —Janie Chang, bestselling author of Dragon Springs Road and The Library of Legends
“The Last Rose of Shanghai vividly depicts the clash of East and West as Jewish refugees flee Hitler’s Berlin for faraway Shanghai, where they struggle to survive amid the uneasy coexistence of Chinese magnates and Japanese invaders. Sophisticated heiress Aiyi knows she is taking a risk when she hires Jewish pianist Ernest to play jazz in her nightclub, but she has no idea she will be risking her heart, her family, and everything she holds dear as forbidden love blossoms and Japan’s hold on her beloved home city tightens. Weina Dai Randel’s poignant, sweeping love story paints a vibrant portrait of a little-known slice of World War II history. Not to be missed!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Huntress
“A sweeping novel that transports readers to 1940s Shanghai, The Last Rose of Shanghai is a must-read for historical fiction lovers. Filled with page-turning suspense and a poignant and unforgettable love story, Weina Dai Randel wholly immerses the reader in this richly detailed and powerfully drawn story.” —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Set against a panorama so vivid you can almost hear the jazz in Aiyi Shao’s nightclub, Weina Dai Randel brings to life fascinating WWII history new to me and, I imagine, countless other readers. The story of a well-born entrepreneur and the German-Jewish refugee she loves will stay with you long after The Last Rose of Shanghai ends.” —Sally Koslow, author of Another Side of Paradise
“In a novel that spans time, space, and culture, The Last Rose of Shanghai is a riveting story of love, heartbreak, and redemption. The smoky night clubs, jazz bars, luxury hotels, family compounds, and refugee settlements of Japanese-occupied Shanghai provide a fascinating background to the lives of those caught in the crossfires of war. Weina Dai Randel is a skilled artist, giving the reader well drawn characters of great depth, complexity, and heart. In the WWII genre, within the genre of historical fiction,The Last Rose of Shanghai stands out for its boldness and originality.” —Erika Robuck, bestselling author of The Invisible Woman