Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong

This compelling account of Anna May Wong’s (1905–61) life and career as a film star is hard to put down. From her early appearance in Douglas Fairbanks’s silent classic The Thief of Bagdad to King of Chinatown, and on to her final film Portrait in Black—plus her work in other media—Wong demonstrated considerable and versatile talent. Nevertheless, she consistently faced racism inherent in the industry and the country. Debut author Salisbury gives readers a thoughtful, in-depth portrait of Wong both as an individual and as a celebrity who tried to balance her traditional Chinese heritage and upbringing with her life as a modern American woman and actress. Details about her life at home and abroad and the critical turning points that drove her personal and career choices are especially intriguing. Salisbury is a skilled storyteller, seamlessly interweaving historical context, behind-the-scenes Hollywood anecdotes, and forthright takes on the social milieu of the time. An engaging preface, prologue, and bibliography and well-chosen photos complement the absorbing narrative.