Title: Last Boat Out of Shanghai Pdf The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution
“A true page-turner . . . [Helen] Zia has proven once again that history is something that happens to real people.”—New York Times bestselling author Lisa See
Shanghai has historically been China’s jewel, its richest, most modern and westernized city. The bustling metropolis was home to sophisticated intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and a thriving middle class when Mao’s proletarian revolution emerged victorious from the long civil war. Terrified of the horrors the Communists would wreak upon their lives, citizens of Shanghai who could afford to fled in every direction. Seventy years later, members of the last generation to fully recall this massive exodus have revealed their stories to Chinese American journalist Helen Zia, who interviewed hundreds of exiles about their journey through one of the most tumultuous events of the twentieth century. From these moving accounts, Zia weaves together the stories of four young Shanghai residents who wrestled with the decision to abandon everything for an uncertain life as refugees in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States.
Benny, who as a teenager became the unwilling heir to his father’s dark wartime legacy, must decide either to escape to Hong Kong or navigate the intricacies of a newly Communist China. The resolute Annuo, forced to flee her home with her father, a defeated Nationalist official, becomes an unwelcome exile in Taiwan. The financially strapped Ho fights deportation from the U.S. in order to continue his studies while his family struggles at home. And Bing, given away by her poor parents, faces the prospect of a new life among strangers in America. The lives of these men and women are marvelously portrayed, revealing the dignity and triumph of personal survival.
Herself the daughter of immigrants from China, Zia is uniquely equipped to explain how crises like the Shanghai transition affect children and their families, students and their futures, and, ultimately, the way we see ourselves and those around us. Last Boat Out of Shanghai brings a poignant personal angle to the experiences of refugees then and, by extension, today.
“Zia’s portraits are compassionate and heartbreaking, and they are, ultimately, the universal story of many families who leave their homeland as refugees and find less-than-welcoming circumstances on the other side.”—Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club
Very compelling, puts a unique personal spin on the issue of immigration Just a fabulous book. Knowing many friends who are first generation Chinese born in America, and whose parents came through Hong and Taiwan, it was amazing to see how immigrants can go from the top to the bottom in an instant. They left for their freedom, and in some cases probably for their lives, and the paths they took were not easy, not pretty, and certainly not always what they expected. But they persevered. You can not help but think of the current situation - whether the country is China, Mexico, Syria or anywhere - no one wants to leave what they call home, the decision to do so is terribly unsettling and fraught with danger. The ever-present distrust and discrimination and hatred directed against people who are different - by race, by religion, by color - is sadly a chorus that continues to repeat itself. 105 Chinese allowed per year in the United States? Ultimately every story is personal, and that is perhaps what the author wants to portray most - that each story is its own, unique, heartbreaking at times, but hopefully fulfilling.A great book.EXCELLENT What an amazing story, all true and so well written. If you feel sorry for yourself, read this book, and you'll think twice. It shows how people can survive and thrive, even during the very worst of times. This book makes you CARE about each person's journey. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!The stories of the four main charactors mirrow my own Thank you for writing this story. The four main characters' struggles and ultimate successes mirror my own. While we did not leave on the Last Boat we did experience many similar hardships and struggles. My parents first came to the U.S. in 1939, leaving my older brother and me with our grandparents when father went to Michigan to study for his masters degree. It was meant to be a short stay but the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 changed all that. I would not see my parents until after WWII. Meanwhile my younger brother and sister were born in New York. Father did not stay that long and return to New York just before the Communists took over Shanghai in 1949. Father was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and did not expect he had to work to support a family. By the time we rejoined him in 1953. he was struggling. Mother the ever more practical person rolled up her sleeves and went to work. That was quite a challenge for a society woman whose father and father in law were two of the directors and founders of the Bank of China. We struggled. But somehow even at 12 and 14, my brother and I had a burning desire to study and work hard so that one day we could restore our family's fortune and fame. We both worked and went to school at night and received our Ph.D. computer science in his case and nuclear physics in my case. He certainly succeeded. I did my best. We worked hard so that our kids would not have to go through what we had to. They all went to private schools and later Ivy League and other leading colleges and graduate schools. While we gave them all these worldly benefits I often wonder if we also robbed them of their drive. This is why Helen's book, which I will share with my family is a reminder to them of what we had to go through and what they must not forget.
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