Across the China Sky

Very good story. Makes you taste and feel and see China, both rural and urban. I will share both Flinchbaugh's books with a Chinese couple who while they lived in China had NO knowledge that the Christian church in China is persecuted. It was not until they left China that they discovered the truth.

Mei Lin has finally been released from prison, but life isn't the same after all she's been through. When she is invited to help in an orphanage for the summer, she can't pass up the chance that God has given her even if it means returning to Shangai so soon after her captivity. During Mei Lin's time away, it's her fiancé who ends up in more danger than he thought possible. The sequel to Daughter of China, Across The China Sky stands on it's own with a gripping tale of religious persecution in China. C. Hope Flinchbaugh is a powerful storyteller and tackles this sensitive subject with grace and compassion. She doesn't stop with persecution, though. She also handles infertility, cults and orphans. The multiple story lines work together to bring the reader to his knees for any who might suffer through any of these situations. At times heart-warming and at others heart-wrenching, readers will get a first-hand look at the lives of Christians in China. Flinchbaugh has done her homework. The characters are richly developed and the story deeply touching. Readers who have an interest in other cultures will find Across The China Sky refreshing. As Americans, it's hard to keep our freedom in perspective. Every once in a while a powerful story like this one begs to be read as a reminder of the liberties we enjoy while others around the world suffer. As I was reading, I truly felt like I was in China, suffering alongside Flinchbaugh's characters. Every once in a while I would need to pause to wipe the tears from my eyes. The powerful story is backed up at the end of the novel by a real-life update from an interview the author did while visiting China.

Based on true events, the author gives you insight into the Chinese Cult, 'Eastern Lightening'. It's a disturbing story, but one we need to be aware of. At the end of this book, the author provides an excellent outline for dealing with this cult. Sometimes in America, we feel all safe and cozy. This book was an eye opener of how Christians in China are being persecuted today.

In this sequel to her novel, Daughter of China (Christy-award finalist), author C. Hope Flinchbaugh takes readers on another journey into the struggles of the underground Christian church in China. The main character, Mei Lin, returns home to her rural village after months of difficulty imprisoned in Shanghai. Yet her time at home on her father's farm is brief, and she soon says good-bye to her family and fiancé Liko so she can accept an opportunity to teach at a Christian-run orphanage in Shanghai. While she's gone, Liko responds to an invitation to further his Christian education at the Haggai Institute in Singapore. He discovers too late that a religious cult masterminded this scheme to kidnap the best and brightest pastors of China. Based on a true story, Flinchbaugh's poignant portrayal of persecuted Christians opened my eyes to a new area of the world. As the daughter of a missionary to the Chinese, this author has a calling to enlighten the world about the Christian movement in China. This novel is so gripping, I couldn't put it down. Like never before, I'm praying for the heroic courage of my brothers and sisters in China. --Christian Women Online Book Buzz

If you want to read a cozy book, this one isn't for you. The second book in a series, Across the China Sky divulges information that just now is hitting the front pages of American newspapers (Washington Post, for example, just ran a front-page story on the neglected Chinese orphans.) This book is gripping from the first chapter. The author's account makes you wonder if she lived it through it herself. Anybody would benefit from reading this - from the account of the childrens' plights to the wicked cultic schemes - it is truly a book that won't leave you the same person you were when you started out. As American businesses move toward China, we must also be aware of the other facets that make up this complex country. Human rights violations should not be ignored for the sake of lining a few billionaires' pockets, and with the Olympics coming up in 2008, this is the perfect time to be aware of what's going on in China and do something about it. Kudos to C. Hope Flinchbaugh for taking a stand and telling these stories. It's a book I couldn't get enough of and sad to see end. The acounts of the mental and physical torture are brutal, so be forewarned, this is not a comfortable story. But it will be time well-spent. Publisher's Weekly completely missed the point of the book in their "review". And as far as their confusion over narrative, I can only wonder if that reviewer had had one too many. And disappointing, this book is not. Like sipping a fine wine, you can't jump into this book expecting it to come out the way you would like it. Hold on for the ride and judge for yourself.