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Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution
Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution
Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution
Audiobook17 hours

Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution

Written by Helen Zia

Narrated by Nancy Wu

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

The dramatic real life stories of four young people caught up in the mass exodus of Shanghai in the wake of China's 1949 Communist revolution.

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.

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.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 23, 2019
ISBN9781541402232
Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution

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Reviews for Last Boat Out of Shanghai

Rating: 4.241071607142857 out of 5 stars
4/5

56 ratings6 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As the 1st generation daughter of a Chinese father who was born in 1936 Shanghai, so much of this book rings true for me. It's a well told and fascinating account of those times and the years that followed, as seen from different perspectives.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Started slow, quickly pulled me in! At times I sat at the edge of my seat as the individuals faced down crisis. I cheered as miracles unfolded. What a powerful message of hope, family, and the gift of freedom.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Unfortunately the narrator is voice-acting (poorly) instead of just reading the book. This spoils a quite promising book. It's sad to see this disease spreading from fiction to non-fiction audiobooks.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I did not find most of the characters very sympathetic or remarkable, or the storytelling very compelling. The epilogue, explaining the subsequent fates of the main characters, was the most interesting part. Perhaps if I had read this first I might have cared more about them. > Chinese troops slowed the Imperial Army by destroying China’s bridges and rail lines, sinking their own commercial ships in waterways, and giving up human casualties and territory in a cruel bargain for more time. In one instance, as many as eight hundred thousand civilians drowned after the Nationalist army blew up dams holding back the Yellow River, the second longest in China, to impede the Japanese advance.> Before North Korea had crossed the thirty-eighth parallel, there had been fewer than a hundred Americans in all of Taiwan. Now thousands were on their way, to use the island as a base for their efforts in Korea. With the massive injection of U.S. support, overnight Chiang’s control over Taiwan became stronger than ever.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent account of individuals caught up in the tumultous events of Shanghai during the 20th century. The book does not present a comprehensive overview of the Sino-Japanese War, World War II, or the Chinese Revolution, but it brings these events to life for thse familiar with them.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This historical biography is most likely of interest to those unfamiliar with the transition in China to Mao's revolution and the massive effort of many Chineses to flee the country. It is well-written and informative, if not great reading.