Last Night at the Telegraph Club

On March 25, 1943, Grace and her children attend a parade honoring the visit of Madame Chiang Kai-shek—the first lady of China—to San Francisco. Joseph joined the army a year earlier, and the parade brings out Grace’s optimism toward the war. Later, another parade allows local Chinese Americans to join in, and Lily and Grace walk in it.

Afterward, they have dinner with Shirley’s family, and Grace thinks of her and Joseph’s initial plan to move to China after they got married. It was ruined when Japan invaded Shanghai. In that life, being Joseph’s wife would mean being well above Shirley’s family socially, but it was different in the US. She and Shirley’s mom, Ruby, discuss the war and China’s role in it. As they talk, Grace sees Lily and Shirley waving white napkins out the window, just as they saw Madame Chiang Kai-shek do.

On December 30, Lily and Kath meet in their usual spot. Jean plans to go the next night for New Year’s Eve, but Kath comments that she’d rather go this evening. They talk about Christmas and then how odd it is that no one in their day-to-day lives knows that they sneak out to go.

At the club, they run into Paula and Claire, who order a round of champagne.