Publisher's Weekly Review
Huang (Inseparable), an English professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, concludes his Rendezvous with America trilogy with a vital account of the life of Anna May (née Liu Tsong) Wong (1905--1961), the first Chinese American movie star, that masterfully chronicles her "spectacular rise from laundryman's daughter to global celebrity against the backdrop of a world riven by racism, bigotry, and injustice." Wong made her first onscreen appearance as an extra in The Red Lantern (1919) and three years later landed a breakthrough role as the Madame Butterfly--esque lead in The Toll of the Sea. Huang details how racism shaped Wong's career, noting that she was often "considered too Chinese to play a Chinese" and lost roles to white actors in yellowface who conformed to Asian stereotypes, most notably getting passed over for the lead role in The Good Earth (1937) in favor of white actor Luise Rainer. Additionally, anti-miscegenation prohibitions kept Wong from starring roles in romances because she wasn't allowed to kiss a white man onscreen. Huang's sympathetic treatment brings out the nuances of Wong's story, highlighting how she by turns acceded to and bristled against the stereotypes Hollywood asked her to play, a dynamic captured in Wong's sardonic practice of signing publicity photos "Orientally yours." It's a fascinating--and long overdue--close-up of a Hollywood trailblazer. Photos. (Aug.)
Kirkus Review
An attentive biography of an underrated Hollywood icon. Following his first two books on significant Chinese American figures, Charlie Chan and Inseparable, Huang turns his attention to Anna May Wong (1905-1961). The author capably tracks Wong's life and career, creating a tender, fair portrait of an important performer. Huang elegantly depicts the Wong family and their laundry business, diving into the historical significance of Chinese laundries, and he presents a concise yet rich history of Asian American culture and politics at the turn of the century--specifically, how Asian Americans were treated in America and how it affected the community and Wong's career. At the time, the "exoticism" of China and the East had White Hollywood enraptured, and many producers and directors used Chinatown in Los Angeles as a primary set to shoot films. Wong used this to her advantage, sneaking on to sets and watching film crews as a young girl. Huang illustrates details about Wong with passion and fervor, clearly delineating her struggles and achievements. When Wong succeeds, readers will rejoice, and when her circumstances limit her, readers will feel her sorrow. Though Wong was a controversial figure for her contribution to the negative "Dragon Lady" stereotype for Asian women via her titular role in Daughter of the Dragon, Huang paints his subject in a compassionate light. During this time period, Hollywood was rife with anti-Asian racism, which had a profound effect on the young actor trying to fulfill her dreams. Huang neither forgives nor condemns her actions. Rather, he offers an in-depth exploration of her character, bringing forth her inner thoughts and feelings, many of which were expressed in her diaries and interviews. Wong had an incredible yet short life, and the author documents it in an evenhanded, bittersweet manner. An intimate Hollywood profile perfect for students of film and pop culture. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Anna May Wong (1905--61) was the epitome of Far Eastern allure and mystery during Hollywood's early silent-film era, a status she, unlike many other actors, successfully maintained when the medium transitioned to talkies. Born in poverty to Chinese laundry workers in Los Angeles, Wong was in thrall to the film industry that was burgeoning, quite literally, at her doorstep. With flawless skin, wide, beseeching eyes, and enigmatic, languid expressions, Wong was cast in stereotypical roles calling for female servitude and sex appeal. Her hidden strengths and personal convictions were also detected by the camera's eye, and she garnered acclaim in films that addressed the complexity inherent in human relationships. In a deeply researched and far-reaching biography, professor and award-winning biographer Huang positions Wong's career achievements in America and abroad against the geopolitical challenges of the 1930s, when Europe was on the brink of WWII and a conflagration was brewing between Japan and Wong's ancestral China. The result is a thorough, multilayered history of the too brief yet impactful life of a pioneering Chinese American woman artist facing racism and sexism in tumultuous times.
Library Journal Review
Huang (English, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara; Inseparable) concludes the trilogy that began with an examination of fictional detective Charlie Chan and continued with the story of conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker. Here he focuses on Hollywood luminary Anna May Wong (1905--61), often called the first Chinese American movie star. Wong made a brief onscreen appearance at age 14 and, incredibly, just three years later, starred in the first technicolor film. Despite this early Hollywood success, she eventually grew tired of losing parts to white actors wearing yellowface and moved to Europe, where she achieved even greater fame. Huang's account of Wong's rise (from the daughter of a poor laborer to international film star in a time of rampant prejudice against Asian Americans) is riveting, and the historical background of the burgeoning Hollywood film industry and the wider Chinese American experience is equally gripping. Narrator Rebecca Lam's gentle voice, empathetic delivery, and steady pacing allow listeners to absorb the wealth of biographical, cultural, and historical details and highlight Wong's grit, determination, and sacrifice. VERDICT Cinema and history buffs alike will enjoy this engaging tale of a Chinese American cultural icon.--Beth Farrell
