Behind the Red Curtain: Mary Reed Dewar in her own words

by Vicki Panhuise

At twenty-three, nurse Mary Reed Dewar leaves an orderly New Jersey childhood for a war-bruised China—and discovers how quickly a life of faith can collide with history. Packed onto the Marine Lynx, a converted troopship bound for China, she watches the Golden Gate slip into haze as the journey begins.

In Peiping (today’s Beijing), 1947–48, Mary prepares for her first mission, pedaling through dust-choked hutongs, studying language by ear, and learning medicine amid hyperinflation and scarcity. What she finds, and who she becomes, are shaped quickly as she finally arrives in rural China for her first mission assignment in February 1948.

Then comes the moment that makes headlines back “Four Missionaries Missing in China.” As front lines of the Red Revolution shift across Shansi Province, a simple supply trip becomes a vanishing act, and Mary’s family can only wait and pray across an ocean of silence.

Told in Mary’s unmistakable voice—braided from letters, news clippings, and recent conversations with her family—this deeply human memoir traces a young woman’s passage from conviction to courage. It is a story of service without guarantees, of friendship in a language learned one tone at a time, and of the ordinary life that make endurance possible.

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2025

About the author

Vicki Panhuise is a retired strategic business leader with 40 years of experience in aerospace manufacturing and engineering roles for commercial and defense markets. Vicki held key business leadership roles at Honeywell Aerospace including Vice President, US Defense Customers, as well as many other significant roles during her tenure. She also was an executive for Airborne Systems Group and National Technical Systems.

Vicki holds several degrees including a B.A. in Mathematics from Wells College, M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from University of Missouri-Columbia, and a MBA from the University of Arizona. She has served as the Chairman of the Arizona Aerospace and Defense Commission and on the Arizona Commerce Authority Board appointed by the Governor. She is currently a Trustee on the Wells College Board of Trustees.

Vicki is the niece of Mary Dewar. She is married to John Panhuise and resides in Scottsdale Arizona.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind the Red Curtain is a historical memoir of Mary Reed Dewar's life working in a missionary hospital as nurse in China from 1947-1951. Mary grew up in New Jersey attended school in Ohio and went on to become a nurse and make a commitment to spend five years of her life in a far away country that was struggling after WW2 with what kind of government they wanted to be. Her experiences during the civil war fighting between the Nationalist army and the Mao's communist fighters is just fascinating. Mary's story told in her own words at 102 years of age was gripping to the point I couldn't put the book down. The storytelling written by her niece is done in such a way that you can visualize the events and the scenery like it was a movie. I am so thankful that Mary's niece, Vicki Panhuise knew her story needed to be told.

Thank you netGalley and Vicki Panhuise for providing me with a copy of Behind the Red Curtain for an honest review.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if your faith dropped you straight into the middle of a revolution?
I absolutely devoured Behind the Red Curtain. Mary is twenty three, freshly trained as a nurse, and instead of choosing comfort, she boards a troopship to China right as the political world is exploding. There are no dramatic speeches or overdone hero moments. Just grit, prayer, dust filled streets, language lessons learned one tone at a time, and a young woman who refuses to quit when she is stranded behind Communist lines and reported missing back home. I loved how honest this felt. You see her doubts, her humor, her discipline, and her stubborn courage. If you love real life stories that read like a novel and prove that ordinary people can live extraordinary lives, this one is worth your time.

[Abigail L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Behind the Red Curtain expecting a historical missionary memoir, but it turned out to be so much more personal and gripping than I imagined. Mary Reed Dewar leaves New Jersey in 1947 to serve as a nurse in China, and what follows is a front row view of life during the Chinese Civil War, complete with language struggles, shortages, isolation, and even the terrifying moment when she is reported missing back home. I really loved how the story is told through her own words and letters because it made everything feel immediate and real, not polished or distant. I especially enjoyed seeing how her faith and courage grew under pressure. It felt like reading someone’s private journal during a turning point in history, and I found myself thinking about her long after I finished.

[Paige Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love true stories with backbone, Behind the Red Curtain should be your next read.
This memoir proves that courage is not loud, it is steady, faithful, and brave enough to board the ship anyway.