Kristina McMorris, the New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Ways We Hide, returns with a heart-rending, suspenseful, and culturally resonant historical novel set in late 19th-century Portland. The Girls of Good Fortune unearths the silenced voices of the past, drawing readers into a subterranean world of injustice, racial prejudice, and family secrets. Set against the backdrop of the infamous Shanghai Tunnels and the chilling Rock Springs and Hells Canyon massacres, this is not only a work of gripping historical fiction but a tribute to the women who endure—through erasure, betrayal, and invisibility.
Plot Summary: Beneath the City, a Story Demands to Be Told
The novel opens with a jarring image: a woman, disoriented and drugged, awakens in a shadowy underground cell in Portland’s notorious tunnels. That woman is Celia, a half-Chinese domestic servant who has been “shanghaied”—a term used historically for those kidnapped and forced into servitude. Through flickering lamplight and fractured memory, Celia fights to recall how she came to be there. Her journey is revealed in dual timelines that trace her life from service in the privileged Bettencourt household to her entanglement in the aftermath of a brutal goldminers’ massacre and the mystery surrounding a child left in danger.
As Celia navigates layers of peril, betrayal, and identity, the narrative skillfully unveils the systemic racism and exploitation that shaped her fate—and countless others. Her desperate race to escape and return to those she loves anchors the novel in personal stakes, even as larger forces of politics and prejudice loom over every step.
Characters: Women of Resilience, Men of Contradiction
Kristina McMorris’s characters are vivid, layered, and often contradictory—much like history itself.
Celia Hart (Chung):
A powerful and quietly determined protagonist, Celia is more than a victim. Her mixed-race heritage places her in constant peril within Portland’s racially segregated society, but her dignity and intelligence shine through even in captivity. Her inner conflict between filial duty and personal agency forms the emotional spine of the novel.
Marie:
A secondary character with a sharp tongue and deeper soul, Marie is modeled after the author’s own relatives. She’s a compelling blend of toughness and compassion, representing the many working-class women who find power in truth rather than polish.
Stephen Bettencourt:
As the son of Celia’s employer and her secret fiancé, Stephen epitomizes privilege’s ability to turn a blind eye. His affection for Celia is sincere, but his failure to act against systemic cruelty makes him one of the novel’s more complex figures.
Abigail and the Mayor:
They represent the performative kindness often seen in historical (and modern) figures of influence. Their tolerance is conditional, their empathy bounded by social and political expedience.
Themes: Identity, Erasure, and the Fabric of Fortune
The Girls of Good Fortune is thematically rich, exploring timeless issues with modern resonance.
- Identity and Passing: Celia’s experience as a woman of mixed heritage “passing” as white is a constant thread in the narrative. The duality of hiding and longing for visibility plays out through her daily choices and dangerous secrets.
- Systemic Racism and Historical Silencing: McMorris doesn’t flinch from depicting the anti-Chinese sentiment of the era. The inclusion of real historical events—like the Rock Springs and Hells Canyon massacres—grounds the novel in chilling reality.
- Motherhood and Female Solidarity: From Celia’s strained relationship with her late mother to her own maternal instincts, the novel elevates motherhood as both a source of strength and conflict. The book explores the roles women are forced to play—domestics, lovers, daughters—and how they subvert them to reclaim autonomy.
- The Meaning of Fortune: The title itself is layered with irony and introspection. What does it mean to be fortunate? McMorris challenges the idea that fortune is always visible or desired—often, it is a hard-won prize hidden beneath misfortune.
Historical and Cultural Setting: Portland’s Underbelly and America’s Denial
McMorris excels in blending fiction with research. Her depiction of Portland in 1888 is haunting—both in the literal darkness of its tunnels and the metaphorical darkness of its prejudice. The setting is alive with:
- Shanghai Tunnels: Used historically to kidnap and smuggle laborers, they become both a physical and symbolic prison for Celia.
- Gold Rush Massacres: The forgotten acts of violence against Chinese communities are brought to brutal life, challenging the reader to confront history’s omissions.
- Chinese Exclusion Act Era: A time when Asian-American identities were criminalized and dehumanized, adding a layer of tension to every interaction Celia has.
The prose captures the grime, glamour, and hypocrisy of a city at odds with its own progress. McMorris, herself of Asian descent, writes with authenticity and a deeply personal lens, lending the novel emotional credibility and cultural nuance.
Writing Style: Lyrical, Cinematic, and Emotionally Precise
Fans of McMorris’s previous novels—Sold on a Monday, The Ways We Hide, The Edge of Lost—will recognize her signature voice: evocative, immersive, and driven by moral inquiry. Her prose in The Girls of Good Fortune is crisp but never cold. She uses sensory detail to create tension and depth, particularly in claustrophobic or emotionally charged scenes.
- Narrative Pacing: Alternates between breathless urgency and slow-burn reveals.
- Language: A lyrical yet accessible tone that never feels overwrought.
- Dialogue: Authentic, especially in emotionally intimate or racially charged exchanges.
- Structure: The shifting timelines are handled deftly, gradually revealing Celia’s path to the tunnels without confusing the reader.
Strengths: What McMorris Gets Right
- Authentic representation of mixed-race identity in a historical setting
- Integration of real historical events that are rarely covered in fiction
- Strong, multifaceted female characters that transcend stereotypes
- Elegant prose with emotional and historical heft
- Gripping narrative that balances suspense with sensitivity
Weaknesses: Where the Novel Stumbles
While The Girls of Good Fortune is overwhelmingly compelling, there are a few minor critiques:
- Romantic subplot lacks urgency: Celia and Stephen’s love story, though tender, is overshadowed by the broader stakes and sometimes feels underdeveloped.
- Secondary characters underused: Some intriguing figures like Calum and Matthew add humor and contrast but don’t get enough page time to be fully realized.
- Thematic exposition can feel overt: Occasionally, the prose leans into didacticism when subtlety would suffice, particularly in sections addressing race and privilege.
Still, these are small blemishes in an otherwise standout work.
Comparisons and Recommendations
Readers who appreciated the emotional excavation in Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino or the historical scope of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah will find much to love here. Fans of Lisa See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) and Jamie Ford (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet) will especially appreciate the Asian-American lens through which McMorris writes.
Other books to consider if you enjoyed this novel:
- Massacred for Gold by R. Gregory Nokes – A nonfiction account referenced in the novel
- The Oregon Shanghaiers by Barney Blalock – For deeper history on Portland’s tunnels
- The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See – Explores maternal bonds and identity across cultures
Final Verdict: A Luminous Excavation of a Shadowed Past
The Girls of Good Fortune is not just a historical novel—it’s an act of reclamation. Kristina McMorris revives a forgotten chapter of American history with grace, urgency, and profound emotional intelligence. Celia’s story will break your heart and patch it back together with hope stitched into every seam.
It is a tale of buried trauma, found courage, and the enduring power of identity told through the lens of one woman—and many voices. Both sobering and uplifting, this novel reminds us that beneath the dirt of history lies buried treasure: stories that must be told, no matter how long they’ve waited.
