Taras: Shanghai became a port of last resort because Canada and the United States were turning away ships filled with Jewish refugees. The story of Shanghai is about a clash of cultures and when you understand that, you understand China. You can see the old Chinese city, which stands as a maze work of residences and shops, then there is this European city and a modern city. Jennifer: Most of the fascinating people who populate your book were Jewish, including Sir Victor and a Canadian named Morris “Two-Gun” Cohen. When I went back home to Canada I began doing research and realized that many of the places I’d been were remnants of old Shanghai.

Source: thestar July 04, 2016 15:56 UTC