Grace: An American Woman in China, 1934-1974

by Eleanor McCallie Cooper, William Liu, Charles Ruas (Foreword)

"The extraordinary life of a courageous, outspoken American woman who survived forty years of upheaval in twentieth-century China . . . A unique perspective on a period of -critical transformations in China."— Kirkus Reviews

"Reads like a riveting and complex novel. Set against the fascinating backdrop of China during the Cultural Revolution, it is the story of a strong woman who followed her heart against the odds."—Lee Smith, The Last Girls

Eleanor McCallie Cooper lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

William Liu , Grace’s only surviving child, teaches at Simon Frasier University in Vancouver.

Genres: Nonfiction, China, Biography

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a Tennessee woman, Grace Divine, who met and married a Chinese water engineer, F. C. Liu, who had gone to school at Cornell and was working for the New York City water authority in the early 1930s. After the birth of their first child they moved to China, to Tiensin, to live in one of the foreign protectorate areas, while Liu went to work at the local waterworks. They were highly westernized, both because of the neighborhood where they lived and originally largely associated with foreign or foreign-Chinese families, and because F.C. was one of the educated people who had spent considerable time abroad. Throughout the time that Grace was there the family felt committed to be in China so did not try to evacuate either at the time of the Japanese conquest, or when the Nationalists finally retreated to Taiwan. Grace herself, however, does not seem to have learned to read Chinese, or even to proficiently speak Chinese.

This is a straightforward, personal story told through Grace's letters and others' recollections, mostly the Lius' three children. While there is some historical context given, on the whole the story speaks for itself. The couple were not Communists, but supported the cause in part because the Communist 8th Road division provided support throughout the Japanese occupation, and because they became disenchanted and disgusted with the amount of graft and abuse coming from the Nationalist leaders. They were truly enthusiastic about the new order, and worked hard to get it to work. This is one aspect of Grace's life that her American relatives could not understand or accept, and one revelation of the book is the extent to which the US population was fed a story about the initial Communist takeover being terrible, etc., because Henry Luce and others so strongly supported Chiang Kai-Shek and the Nationalists. At this point Grace lost touch with her family, largely because the family felt threatened by the contact (one brother worked at Oak Ridge and was afraid of losing his job) and points up the pervasiveness of the McCarthy-type Communist scare in the US.

During the Cultural Revolution the family, particularly Grace, was mistreated badly (F.C. had died before this) although neither Grace nor the other voices chooses to lay much blame. Grace finally did come home forty years later both to see her family and for health reasons, in 1974 when relations between China and the US finally thawed.

This is not a great book but it is an easy read that does a good job of telling one person's story, and anyone interested in recent Chinese history would enjoy this.

[Ally Armistead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five out of five stars for "Grace in China," a part memoir, part biography, of Grace Divine Liu, an American woman who lived in China from 1934-1974 from the Japanese invasion through the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong. Hands down, this is the single best history of China I've read in my studi...es thus far, particularly from the perspective of an American behind the Great Wall of China during the 50s, and 60s--a time when China was cut off from the rest of world, sealed off from foreign influence, and made out to be a great Communist threat by the U.S. What was most surprising to me in reading Grace's journals and letters was how "not aggressive" the newly liberated People's Republic China really was (according to Grace) as evidenced by the country's excellent provisions of health care, food, and sanitation, as well as its elimination of the old feudal system and the fostering of a collective, united people working towards the dream of a solid, powerful China. What is also so interesting to me, from the perspective of my own novel, is how much money America gave to Chiang Kai-Shek of the Kuomintang party in his (and our) attempt to hold onto "America's China"--even though that China was corrupted to the core, abusive of the people, and a far greater threat to China than any "Communist" liberation could possibly be. When Chiang lost to the People's Liberation Army however, the U.S. buried China, mourning its loss, and damning it a Red nation of aggressive Communist powers. Aside from the sheer richness of history in the book, I was also fascinated by the texture of China itself (the food, the language, the culture, the geography, the honor of generations and family and elders), as well as Grace Liu herself, her revolutionary spirit, and her love of China as home. A great read for anyone interested in Chinese history, bicultural experiences and familiies, and the art of stitching together memoir, family archive, and biography.

[Elizabeth Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't remember how I came to have this book. It is a former library book; I probably bought it for a quarter at a book sale. It is gripping. Grace meets and married a Chinese engineer who is in New York studying at Cornell. In the 1930's this was unheard of. Not only did she marry him, but she moved to China with him in 1934 and didn't set foot back in the US until 1974! She lived through Japanese occupation, WWII, the civil war, the Korean War, the Cultural Revolution. She was arrested as an American spy. Even after her husband died in the 1950's, she stayed on, believing that it was her children's home. The book gives an interested perspective of the "communist invasion" in China. The Kuomintang (the US supported Nationalists) were corrupt and lazy, whereas the communists made improvements in the infrastructure. Grace spoke out in letters home against the US foreign policy, giving her eyewitness opinions about life in China after the communists. After a while her family no longer communicated with her, in fear that the McCarthy communist hunters would come after them.

This is a great book. It makes you wonder if all of the history that we know as Americans is the "real" history, or just constructed to be what "they" want us to believe.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story of an American opera singer who married a Chinese engineer in New York in the 1930's and then moved to China with him, and stayed for the next forty years. She survived the Japanese occupation, the civil war, even the Cultural Revolution, then returned to the United States in the 70's in poor health and died a few years later. Fascinating story. It was really interesting to watch the changes in her thinking as she was a "foreigner" at first, doubtful of the Communists, then very supportive, then persecuted during the Cultural Revolution. The book was told largely by her own reminiscences and letters, woven together by her son and niece. Very well done.

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not a summer thriller or beach book, but boy was it interesting. I truly admire and respect Grace Liu, the subject of this biography about a woman from Chattanooga who marries a Chinese man--when interracial marriage was still illegal in Tennessee, mind you--and moved to China in the 1930s. Grace lives in China through World War II, the rise of communism, and the Cultural Revolution. She proved herself to be a person of real substance, courage, and grace. The book does a good job balancing telling the story of China--of which I knew very little--with the more personal stories of Grace's life. I enjoyed it, was informed and felt personally challenged.

[Jo Sansevero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. Having lived during the time of the Communist Revolution in China and watching it from here in the US I learned so much about it from inside China. I saw a lot of things that were very enlightening in the book and caused me to think about the things that are happening right now in the US. I would recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest interest in history, in China, in Communism v Capitalism. It was a very enjoyable and enlightening book.

[Connie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting insite into the changes in China over 40 crucial years from an American woman actually there, living through it all. Her personal letters are so revealing. Glad her aunt saved them all!

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique and enlightening. By an American who lived as a Chinese from the 1930's thru the 1970's, including the change to Communism and the Cultural Revolution. Provides a totally different impression of China compared to the way it has been portrayed by America.

[Julie Failla Earhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the two best biographies i have ever read...riveting!

[Patty Spanjer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book! It gives a whole new perspective on the Chinese point of view. I will never forget this book. I got a lot out of it, and highly recommend it.

[Chris Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, great insight into China and America during the 40's and 50's

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really unique perspective of Chinese history. Sometimes it got a little tedious but especially the end was fascinating to hear how she experienced the Cultural Revolution. One of the authors, Eleanor McCallie Cooper, visited our library and shared some of Grace's story.

[Meg Clayton]

biography