Overview

This is the acclaimed memoir of an extraordinary woman trained as an elite soldier in the Chinese Army, her forbidden love for an American, and her seemingly impossible escape-with his help-from the nation to which she had pledged her life. An astonishing testament to the enduring resilience of love and the human spirit in the face of even the most oppressive, hopeless conditions, Daughter of China offers a stunning look at life inside the rigid walls of Communist China, revealing in fascinating detail Xu's inculcation into the system-a process so effective that she would willingly betray a friend or family member to prove her loyalty. Written with clear-eyed candor and stark eloquence, Daughter of China is at once a timeless, deeply moving story of a prohibited love affair and a dramatic depiction of life under Chinese Communism. As finely wrought as the best espionage fiction and containing all the emotional force of a novel, Daughter of China is all the more riveting because it is true.Meihong Xu (San Jose, CA) joined the People's Liberation Army when she was seventeen and received her BA from the Institute of International Relations in Nanjing. Larry Engelmann (San Jose, CA) is a professor of history at San Jose State University and a journalist.

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9780471390190

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Growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Xu joined the People's Liberation Army at the age of 17. She was selected as one of the country's brightest and best, and became a member of the elite intelligence corps. Sent to spy on visiting US professor Engelmann, who has unwittingly drawn the suspicion of the Chinese authorities, her world was never to be the same again. Daughter of China is the compelling account of an extraordinary love affair that reads like the best fiction but is the real experience of the authors, told against the often shocking backdrop of Communist China. Brilliantly evoking the intense contrast between young girl's heroic patriotism and the sudden impact of a forbidden love, the writing of this incredibly moving story is a magnificient achievement. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Meihong Xu joined the People's Liberation Army when she was seventeen and received her B.A. from the Institute of International Relations in Nanjing. Larry Engelmann is a professor of history at San Jose State University and a journalist. He is also the author of four previous books, including the New York Times Notable Book, The Goddess and the American Girl. They both live in San Jose, California.

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