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By Wilma Wall
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607
Grand Rapids, MI 49501
http://kregel.gospelcom.net/
This novel is not a mystery, not a romance, and not a biography. It is, however, an intriguing story about a woman who was born in China to American missionaries. It is set in the time period around World War II. The family was forced to return to the United States at that time, and the main character felt like a foreigner in the U.S. It is a story of relationships between her and her mother and, later, between her and her daughter and also between her daughter and her mother. Unfortunately, the relationships were not always smooth; many times there was conflict.
The author was, indeed, a missionary child born in China in this time period, so she is very realistic in her portrayal of life in China in that era. The escape from China is also very realistic. We often think of missionary families as having it "all together" and being "perfect," when, in fact, they are human with faults just like every other human in the world. This story helps us to realize that fact but does not take away from the great work missionaries can accomplish.
I would rate this book for teenagers and older and would recommend it if you want a book with smooth, realistic action and deep insight into the conflict that continues throughout the book until the end. It also has a very satisfactory ending, not leaving the reader hanging.
Product review by Nancy Wagner, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, March 2007
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