A novel about pre-communist Shanghai
I’m trying to identify an English novel I read in Canada in early 2001 (which I bought from a yard sale). It had just been published around that time (circa 1999–2001) and was quite long—perhaps around 700 pages.
The novel follows the lives of four friends—all Westerners—in Shanghai across the first half of the 20th century. The main protagonist is the son of an American missionary. Another key character is an Englishman who is portrayed as gay. The story spans major historical events, including the Northern Expedition, the first Chinese Civil War, the Sino-Japanese War (with scenes of the bombing of Shanghai), and the second Civil War, ending with the Communist takeover of Shanghai in 1949.
Some specific plot points I remember:
The American protagonist divorces his American wife.
After 1949, the Englishman refuses to leave Shanghai and ultimately disappears.
The novel is a multi-character (ensemble) narrative centered on Western expatriates in Shanghai.
The author was most likely American, and the book was newly published around 2000.
I’ve searched extensively but haven’t been able to find it. I am aware of the other novels about Shanghai such as Shanghai (Christopher New), A Covenant in Shanghai (David Brailovsky), and The Distant Land of My Father (Bo Caldwell). But the one I am talking about does not appear on those lists. Any help would be greatly appreciated.