Critical Praise

"luminous rendering of a woman whose work was her life."

—Booklist

"In this age of memoir and thinly veiled autobiographical fiction, writers who take high dives into deeply imagined waters have become increasingly rare --- and valuable. What a pleasure, then, to discover that Jennifer Cody Epstein, whose luminous first novel, The Painter From Shanghai, is based on the actual life of Pan Yuliang, a former child prostitute turned celebrated painter, also happens to be one such writer... an irresistible story."

—New York Times

"[An] engrossing story of a woman forced to choose between following her heart and pursuing her art."

—Library Journal

"Epstein’s sweeping debut novel, set in early 20th-century China, fictionalizes the life of Chinese painter Pan Yuliang.... [Her] take on Yuliang’s life is captivating to the last line."

—Publishers Weekly