The Promise"A sequel to Dragan Seed, that novel of occupied China, of the farmer Ling Tan and his family and of life going on behind the Japanese lines and the hourly petty sabotage carried out by the lowly peasants who hid their hate behind their impassivity. Ling Tan's faith in the promises of the white allies was unshaken. This is a poignant and bitter story of how those promises failed. It is a story of the Front, of Ling Tan's youngest son, guerilla fighter, of Mayli, whom he loved despite their quarrels, of youngest sister, Pan, whose mind was so shocked by her experiences that she was a child again. Shang has the confidence of his superiors, even of "the Chairman" -- and it is he who is chosen to lead the troops to the aid of the outwitted white troups, in Hurma. Mayli, wanting to be near him, has won "the lady's" permission to go with the nurses, as her "eyes and ears". Circumstances keep them apart -- circumstances and nagging doubt on Sheng's part. And when they meet it is almost too late. The English are paying the price of generations of arrogance -- the Burmese in their hatred are giving mid to the enemy, the British and the Americans are retreating and retreating. The Chinese, belatedly, fight a delaying action to save their "allies" -- and in the end are considered "expendable" -- Unconscious, Sheng is left for dead -- and with two others he escapes the fate of his troops. At the close, Sheng and Mayli and Pansiao turn their steps towards what is left of home. A simple tale, with implicit in it the tragedy of racial differences, of the white man in the Orient. There seems no ray of light in the sky. There is a satirical ring to the very title. Fascinating reading -- and convincing in the vary human picture of the Chinese and their complexities."--Kirkus |
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allies American An-lan armies arms bamboo battle began Big Road brother Burma Burmese Chairman Charlie Chen Yu Chi-ling child Chinese Chung command cried dead enemy English Englishman eyes face fear feet fell felt fight foreign gate girl gone grew guns hair hand head heard heart Hsieh-ying India Jade jungle knew Kunming lady Lashio laughed laughter letter lifted Ling Sao Ling Tan lips Liu Ma looked Mayli asked mother Nanking never night old woman Pansiao Pao Chen Rangoon remember retreat rice river road rose Saya San Sheng asked shouted sighed silent sleep small face smiled soldier speak spoke stared stood stopped suddenly talk tall tell thing thought told took truck turned village voice waiting walked watching weary women words wounded Ying young