3 comments about Journey Against One Current: The Spiritual Autobiography of a Chinese Christian.

1. This book is most inspiring to those of us who live in a world where we are free to believe and worship as we wish. Julia Duan endured hardships most cannot understand by exhibiting a strong faith through recalling hymns and scripture memorized years in the past. She can inspire us all.



2. Ms. Duan's life and book are a testimony to the incredible uphevals that have occured in China during this century. From the perspective of a Chinese Christian, Ms. Duan has written a book that integrates her culture and her faith. This book captures the life of a unique woman who has lived a humble life and provides the reader with a window into Chinese life. Definitely a book both to inspire and inform.



3. The courage of this beautiful lady to even publish such a book is fantastic. Her portrayal of that very difficult time in Chinese history without rancor, but with great forgiveness and love, is very encouraging for Christians everywhere. I only wish I could speak to her personally.

No comments about Some Eminent Chinese of the Seventeenth Century. Twenty-two biographies from a proposed dictionary of Ch`ing Dynasty biography.

No comments about The Girl in the White Ship: A True Story of Escape, Faith & Survival.

No comments about Hong Kong's Journey to Reunification: Memoirs of Sze-yuen Chung.

No comments about Diversion En Una Lavanderia China/ Fun in a Chinese Laundry: Memorias/ Memories.

No comments about Cao Zhi: The Life of a Princely Chinese Poet.

5 comments about Escape From China : The Long Journey From Tiananmen to Freedom.

1. I was a strong supporter of the Tiananmen movement for freedom and democracy, and those leaders were once a time my heros and heroines. But now I began to question the truth of their statements. They were not respectable as they claimed, and they did something actually not decent during the movement. When the others were on hunger strike, some of them were eating in local restaurants using the donations from those poor students, which were intended to fund the movement. What they have done later in the US is also disappointing. During my years in Beijing University, I secretly contacted some classmates of the former leaders, who I believe are honest people. They gave a totally different description of the deeds of those former heros. The Communists did kill the students, but the roles of these leaders in this movement should be studied more carefully before I believe them. I highly respect those died at the Square for the freedom and democracy of China, but those leaders are not my heroes any more, and began to question their doings in the horrible summer of 1989.



2. First, a short response to the review "telling truth or not" by "a reader". Shortly after the June 4th massacre the Chinese government broadcasted on television a video (apparently taken by the secret police) mockingly claiming that "while the 'poor worms' were on hunger strike, the leading 'turmoil elements' were eating in local restaurants using the donations intended for the movement." Almost immediately after the broadcast a university student in Hong Kong (a student of Chinese Universtiy of HK, if I remember correctly), whose face also appeared on the video, came out and clarifed that the dinner took place AFTER the hunger struck (the hunger strike ended at 10:00p.m. May 16). He was a representative of the universtiy students from HK, and he invited the leaders for dinner and he paid the bill -- no money was used from donations. When the video was replayed in slow motion, one could see what they were eating and would appreciate that it was indeed a very, very simple meal.
   
   One may find that the way the officers conduct their business and the way the commoners response are somewhat beyond believe. I know that the author is genuinely telling the truth, for I was detained in China twice, once for a month and once for 3 days.
   
   I have read the original Chinese version of the book and also some background material about the author. Within three months after he arrived at US he was diagnosed to have final stage liver cancer. The auther immediately started writing his memoir in the hospital bed hoping that he would leave something valuable for his daughter Little Snow. Miraculously his cancer was gone when he finished writing his book!



3. This book provides a great view into the life of Zhang Boli, the Chinese culture, and the powerful hand of a sovereign God. Yes, the book contained explicit language; however, after visiting with Pastor Zhang Boli, I came to understand that the translating was done by a foreign writer who used lude American language. Pastor Boli, with his very limited English, was not able to read the final production so was unable to even identify the kind of language used in his story's English version. This is an exciting story that is even more awe-inspiring when one realizes that Zhang Boli is still alive and well, pointing many Chinese to Christ in America as well as abroad.



4. Just a simple response to Mrs. G's review. Firstly, I wanted to ask Mrs. G, Could you read Chinese to decide whether the English version is good or bad? I found the translation a lot better than the original Chinese version. That is, the original Chinese is even more vulgar in many contexts, and I appreciated the translator's job, with some British taste indeed. A translator can only do so much to improve on a text that was not brilliantly written to begin with. If the translator's English is not refined enough, then it should be the editor's job to edit and revise it. Since you think the English version is exciting, what flaws is there that made you blame the translator? Indeed, I am glad that the translator has beautifully REwritten some content in a way that is acceptable to the American readers, and that shows that the translator is actually a good English writer and also well learned in Chinese studies. Maybe it does not occur to Mrs. G that even a pastor can be biased. It's regrettable if Mr. Zhang, who has apparently converted many Chinese, still cannot acknowledge the translator's efforts and achievement.



5. The events in Tiananmen Square in June 1989 are one of the 20th century's defining moments. Chinese students took on their communist government & after a 2 week stand-off military forces used overwhelming force to brutally suppress the revolt.
   
   The government issued a warrant for the arrest of the leaders of the insurgence. Zhang Boli was one of the 21 most wanted & the only one not captured. This is his story of how he evades a ruthless nationwide manhunt to escape to freedom in the west.
   
   Zhang Boli comes across as a very brave & intelligent student & in writing this story he wants to not only tell the story of his escape but also of some of the great people who helped him along the way. Worth reading.

No comments about Son of South Mountain & Dust.

No comments about Wang Chang-Ling (Twayne's World Authors Series).

No comments about China's New Party Leadership: Biographies and Analysis of the Twelfth Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.