“Prepare to be captivated. Two Sons of China takes you to WWII China, introduces you to a fascinating cast of characters, and spins a terrific tale of adventure and romance. If you love historical fiction, or any fiction, don’t miss it. A superb debut.”
William Martin
New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and The Lincoln Letter
“Two Sons of China is compelling in its story, gritty in its historical detail, and sensuous in its excellent prose. This is an eye-opening novel about a little known story at the far side of World War II. A remarkable book that deserves a wide audience.”
Anita Shreve
New York Times bestselling author of The Pilot’s Wife and Stella Bain
Awards and Recognition
2015 Independent Publisher Book Award – Gold Medal Winner – Military Fiction
2014 Foreword Reviews’ Book of the Year Award – Winner – Military Fiction
2014 Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award – Winner
2014 New England Book Festival – Honorable Mention
2014 London Book Festival – Honorable Mention
An Epic Novel of America’s Forgotten War in China
China 1944
In a country crippled by Japanese invaders and polarized between Nationalists and Communists, Lieutenant David Parker’s penchant for action leaves him frustrated in isolated Chungking. The war is stagnant. Chiang Kai-shek’s government is corrupt and unwilling to fight. Only his pursuit of Katherine Payne—a beautiful and elusive British journalist—alleviates the tedium of his days spent behind a desk. So when Parker hears of the Dixie Mission—a group of Americans venturing north to the Communist stronghold of Yenan—he is desperate to join them. Rumors have spread that the Communists are fighting the Japanese with heroic zeal.
Lin Yuen is a reclusive and skilled Communist guerilla leader. He can scarcely hide his annoyance when an American, Lieutenant Parker, is assigned to join his next dangerous mission behind enemy lines. Both men have deeply held, clashing convictions, but the battles they fight, the horrors they witness, and the brotherhood they forge ultimately transform them both.
Then, as the end of World War II forces America to take sides in an impending Nationalist-Communist civil war, David and Yuen find their loyalties tested. Together, they must confront a final trial—one that imperils the honor they cherish and the people they love.
Inspired by the real-life story of America’s Dixie Mission to Mao’s Chinese Communists, Two Sons of China is a richly detailed historical saga from a forgotten theater of World War II—a tale of passion and betrayal that reveals the strength of two warriors’ unbreakable friendship, and the powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart.
