ssebens's review against another edition
2.0
I love historical fiction because I feel I learn so much about people, times and places that I knew very little about. So, when I read the blurb for this book and found out that it took place in China, during the Japanese invasion, I was instantly interested since this is an event I know very little about.
Unfortunately, now that I have finished the book, I still don't feel like I know very much about this event. That isn't to say the book was bad, or that I didn't enjoy it. It just wasn't what I was expecting. Dreams of the Red Phoenix centers entirely upon the members of a missionary family in China during the summer of 1937. The two main characters are Shirley and her son Charles, who have recently received word that Caleb (husband and father) has died in the mountains. Shirley is just coming out of a deep depression during which she has not paid any attention to the world around her and has not realized how serious a turn the invasion has taken. Charles has run wild during this time and right at the beginning of the book we see him disrespect the Japanese soldiers, secure in his position as an American. Shirley begins to find purpose again, nursing the Chinese soldiers but, as the war grows more intense, both Shirley and Charles realize that their status as Americans is not the protection that it once seemed and that they are also in danger.
I strongly disliked Shirley. I never understood her motivation. She purposely insults the Japanese, she never even considers that she might need them later. She says on one page that she is staying to continue running her clinic, the next page that she is leaving with Charles, the next page that she is staying and he should go without her, but never with clear reasons why she has changed her mind. She makes terrible decisions throughout the entire book and often seems flighty. I found her unsympathetic and was never able to relate to her. I liked Charles' chapters much more. He was an interesting character because, as I previously mentioned, he starts out secure in his American status, thinking that he can do whatever without consequence. He, unlike his mother, learns quickly however that things have changed and then he realizes that this country is no longer safe for them and prepares to escape. He is just a kid but he shows much more common sense then his mother.
Because the book only shows the events from the perspective of this one family, and takes place in such a short time span (one summer), I didn't feel that I learned much about the true events of this time. From Shirley's nursing, we learn about the actions of the Japanese soldiers in China and from her dealings with the Red Army, we learn a little about the communist goals and can see where the country is headed. But these are all just snippets. Interestingly, the author's relation that she based this story on stayed in China throughout the invasion and it was only the bombing of Pearl Harbor that eventually got her to leave the country. It might have been more interesting to see more of the picture then this short clip.
In conclusion, I enjoyed the book for what it was but didn't learn as much as I had hoped.
I received this book for free in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Unfortunately, now that I have finished the book, I still don't feel like I know very much about this event. That isn't to say the book was bad, or that I didn't enjoy it. It just wasn't what I was expecting. Dreams of the Red Phoenix centers entirely upon the members of a missionary family in China during the summer of 1937. The two main characters are Shirley and her son Charles, who have recently received word that Caleb (husband and father) has died in the mountains. Shirley is just coming out of a deep depression during which she has not paid any attention to the world around her and has not realized how serious a turn the invasion has taken. Charles has run wild during this time and right at the beginning of the book we see him disrespect the Japanese soldiers, secure in his position as an American. Shirley begins to find purpose again, nursing the Chinese soldiers but, as the war grows more intense, both Shirley and Charles realize that their status as Americans is not the protection that it once seemed and that they are also in danger.
I strongly disliked Shirley. I never understood her motivation. She purposely insults the Japanese, she never even considers that she might need them later. She says on one page that she is staying to continue running her clinic, the next page that she is leaving with Charles, the next page that she is staying and he should go without her, but never with clear reasons why she has changed her mind. She makes terrible decisions throughout the entire book and often seems flighty. I found her unsympathetic and was never able to relate to her. I liked Charles' chapters much more. He was an interesting character because, as I previously mentioned, he starts out secure in his American status, thinking that he can do whatever without consequence. He, unlike his mother, learns quickly however that things have changed and then he realizes that this country is no longer safe for them and prepares to escape. He is just a kid but he shows much more common sense then his mother.
Because the book only shows the events from the perspective of this one family, and takes place in such a short time span (one summer), I didn't feel that I learned much about the true events of this time. From Shirley's nursing, we learn about the actions of the Japanese soldiers in China and from her dealings with the Red Army, we learn a little about the communist goals and can see where the country is headed. But these are all just snippets. Interestingly, the author's relation that she based this story on stayed in China throughout the invasion and it was only the bombing of Pearl Harbor that eventually got her to leave the country. It might have been more interesting to see more of the picture then this short clip.
In conclusion, I enjoyed the book for what it was but didn't learn as much as I had hoped.
I received this book for free in a Goodreads Giveaway.
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