From a Far Land

by Robert S. Elegant

This new novel tells the story of the founding of modern China (1921-1952) through the story of an American girl who goes to China in 1921, falls in love with a Chinese man and with China itself, and stays to take part in the revolution.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Robert Sampson Elegant (born March 7, 1928) is a British-American author and journalist born in New York City. He spent many years in Asia as a journalist. The Asian settings of all but one of his novels reflect that experience. He covered both the Korean and the Vietnam Wars, as well as four or five lesser conflicts.

Reviews

[Roger Carleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is very interesting as it follows two High School friends that go to Shang-hi and spend the next 30 years there. It takes place when Shang-Hi was fighting for their independence and through the second world war.
Has romance, some action in it and history elements.
I would recommend this book.

[Jane Garoutte · Rating 4 out of 5]

i remember loving this series.

[Grecia Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really fascinating. Very sweeping. I feel like there's so much going on in this book, it's impossible to give emotion-based details. Although, there are some scenes that do.

[Ken Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is in the tradition of Westerners' explanations of Asian history through the exaggerated influence of Western participants. Most of the key events of the period from the early 1920s to about 1952 are narrated through the life story of an American woman and her Americanized Chinese friends. We are to believe that Julie has become an ardent supporter of the Chinese Communist Party, even while enjoying all the privileges of Shanghai's International Settlement. It's a device for holding the attention of a Western audience, I suppose, but an annoying premise.

[Cynthia Nichols · Rating 2 out of 5]

not much as a novel - creaky pace and rather flat characters. Worth reading if you are interested in the subject matter - Shanghai/China/20th century history.