Mission to Cathay

by Madeleine A. Polland, Peter Landa (Illustrator)

A fictional story of Matteo Ricci, the first Roman Catholic ambassador to enter China.

Full of cultural detail and adventure. Presents an astonishingly realistic look at many of the difficulties faced by Christian ambassadors to unreached peoples.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian, China, School, Young Adult, Read For School, Fiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Madeleine Polland (who also wrote as Frances Adrian) was born in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland, on May 31, 1918.

Madeleine was educated at Hitchin Girls' Grammar School, Herfordshire, from 1929 to 1937.

After leaving school, she served in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and shortly after leaving married Arthur Joseph Polland in 1946.

Madeleine Polland has written several books for children and many novels for adults. Her first book for young readers, CHILDREN OF THE RED KING, was published in the UK by Constable in 1960.

Reviews

[Hazel]

I read this for school. I suppose I liked it.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a fascinating look into the history, culture, and customs of China while hooking the reader into the story of Father Ricci and his young servant. I appreciate the honest look at the difficulties that face missionaries entering a new territory; no high-flown, “he was so perfect and such a saint and accomplished so many amazing things for God” here. Rather, we see the slow unfolding of a mission, and how God works in His own time.

[James Tetley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my son as part of his home school curriculum. He found it too slow going to read himself, but warmed to the book when I read it! The story takes a while to get going and is an interesting blend of fact with fiction. The mixing of the story with the young servant boy with his lost identity and the missionary figure of Mateo Ricci makes more a fascinating read. The book covers only the first early part of Ricci's life but has some deeply moving parts. The writing describing their care of the poor dying beggar and his deathbed conversion to the Christian faith is deeply moving. An encouraging inspiring read of the challenges of serving God in a foreign land, linked with a good story about a ruler's daughter and the rediscovery of the identity of a nobody. This book also inspired me to read a full biography of Matteo Ricci's life (The Wise Man from the West by Vincent Cronin)

[Kelli Terzian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my son as part of our homeschool studies. Honestly it was just okay. I liked the last chapter the best. We nearly gave up and did not finish it. Glad we did but it was not easy to push through.

[Dinah ✨Keefe's Only✨Setter #7-15 J · Rating 2 out of 5]

two stars. it was a slow, boring book... took me three weeks to read. (while it took me two days for another book...)
so yeah, two stars. not very interesting. *Though I did think the "main character" died like three different times at the end.*

[Al Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid fictionalized account of Matteo Ricci’s early forays into mainland China as one of the first Christian missionaries.

Revolves around the attempt to learn Mandarin and an orphan boy who somehow knows Mandarin, decent little story.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snooze. At least, to a fifth grader anyway.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first third is a little slow but then it hooks you. It’s a wonderful story about the first missionary to China.

[Lena Uhren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of the first Western Christian Missionary to enter mainland China. Well written for middle school age. Interesting history and faith story.

[Sheila H]

My

[Dawn Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling story about an orphan finding his family, interwoven with the true story of Matteo Ricci's groundbreaking Christian mission in China.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty quick, good read.

[Zack · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had an okay story line but was sometimes hard to follow along with.

[Cah457 · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed the message

[Kai · Rating 1 out of 5]

0 if I could didn’t even finish it slow paced.

[Christi Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the first missionary to China, a Portuguese monk. A side story is added very successfully of a homeless Chinese boy who becomes the monk’s servant. Historical and entertaining.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars was the review my students gave. While the story of Father Ricci and The Boy was fun, the way this story was written was difficult for my students to engage with. The story is truly interesting and compelling. It showed the great risk and difficulty of evangelizing on mainland China.

[Hazel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very boring to me

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this fictionalize account of Father Matteo Ricci’s entrance into China in 1583 and the adventures of his Chinese servant and the niece of the local Mandarin (government official) who invited Ricci to China. The story of the young people gave the book a suspenseful plot beyond whether the Chinese would eventually accept Ricci and Father Ruggieri. The Chinese' interest in his mechanical clocks, Ricci's making of the first world map in Chinese and his respect for the Chinese and adoption of their language, dress and culture are presented. Having recently been to a few of the classical gardens in Suzhou, I could easily picture the Mandarin’s home and gardens.

[Sophie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exiting book that captures both a historical and fictional story. Although the main story of the boy is fictional there are many facts and true stories involved. If you are looking for an interesting yet educational read-aloud, this is the book for you! This exiting book tells the story of a young beggar without a family or a name until he finds out where he truly belongs. The main historical fact of the book concerns the first missionaries that ever went to China and how they used their clocks to make their way farther than the emperor's palace into China!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An historical novel for young children set in the late 16th century about the first Western Christian missionary, Matteo Ricci, to enter mainland China. Unable to speak Mandarin, Ricci befriends a young Chinese orphan who, strangely enough, speaks the dialect of the Mandarin scholars. Ricci adopts the boy, and the boy in turn teaches Ricci the language, and learns to love him and his spiritual family. The boy eventually finds his real family to boot. This story reveals, in a way young children can understand, some of the cultural differences between the East and West.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable book about the first Catholic missionary to enter mainland China... yet despite the plodding nature of the plot, it is an intriguing look at Chinese culture & the first encounters with Christianity.

While the lead character (the priest) is a historical figure, I'm not sure how much of the novel is fictionalized - I'm inclined to believe that the subplot involving his servant is not real.

I read this book because it's part of the Sonlight curriculum we use to homeschool our boys.

[YesiHomeschool · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a bit difficult to slog through at first, however, as my son said, "Now that was a good book!" This is a fictionalized account of Father Matteo Ricci (factual person) and the hardships he faced, while breaking through the tough barrier of becoming the first missionary to China. The twists and turns in the plot definitely kept us going back for "just another chapter", and we learned a lot about the Chinese culture in this book. #SonlightCoreF

[Dad Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

here's a great story of ancient China and how the gospel slowly penetrated such a wall of culture in the early 1600s. Mrs. Polland presents this from the point of view of a young Chinese boy who loves tho misunderstand the missionary. The life of Matteo Ricci should be read by evangelicals as well as Catholics.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a battle...such an impossible task to explain the God of one culture to another that doesn't even have WORDS for some of the concepts you're trying to teach them.

I was fascinated by this book and glad to read it with my daughter for school. Very enjoyable!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very good. A story of the first Jesuit missionary to mainland China. Well written and an interesting look into the culture and customs that made it so difficult for any one to live among them and find a place.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! Enjoyed the characters and the story.

[Tyler Durboraw · Rating 2 out of 5]

a terrible Waste of time!

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a Chinese boy and early missionaries.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a great adventure book