Gladys Aylward: For the Children of China

This is a great non-fiction story. It got me an A on my college paper on Missionaries in China. Thanks.

Anyone who has seen "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" could not help but wonder at the courage of this unassuming woman. The book opens up an entirely different realm as compared to the screen presentation, because the book is able to expand more on the individual hardships and service of Gladys Aylward. It is engrossing right from the beginning and demonstrates her true courage. Ingrid Bergmann's rendition of the character was very good, but a more intimate knowledge of Gladys is possible only in the book. I highly recommend this easy to read, yet comprehensive offering.

This is one of several volumes in Barbour Publishing's Heroes of the Faith series. It contains a bibliography citing Alan Burgess' The Small Woman (1957) and Phyllis Thompson's A Transparent Woman (1972), but does not mention Gladys Aylward's Gladys Aylward: The Story of Gladys Aylward (1952), Cyril James Davey's Never Say Die: The Story of Gladys Aylward (1974), Mildred T. Howard's These Are My People: A Biography of Gladys Aylward (1984), Catherine Swift's Gladys Aylward (1989), and Janet & Geoff Benge's Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime (1998), to list only those books published prior to Wellman's work. Several works on other missionaries to China are also referred to (at pp. 203-04. See also p. 23). Despite the drawbacks of his bibliography, Wellman has done an excellent job of covering Aylward's life. Far from being a standard "cut-and-paste", this biographical account shows an impressive grasp of the ins and outs of British domestic service, life in China at the time, and Far Eastern politics, all of which are imparted without stemming the flow of this book. While the biography appears to be intended for juveniles, adults can equally benefit from its account of Aylward's missionary endeavors. The account of the movie made of Aylward's life is particularly interesting. "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" was based on the actual Inn of Eight Happinesses, which Aylward helped run at Yangcheng (see p. 197). Similar economics resulted in her adopted child Ninepence being rechristened Sixpence in the movie (at id.). While one can understand why this and other names might have been changed for privacy's sake, it is less clear what the love scenes and tampering with history accomplished (see pp. 197-98). Wellman presents a cautionary tale in miniature of what contact with the film industry can produce. Despite concerns about the bibliography, this is an excellent account of Aylward's life and should serve as a benchmark for other books in the series. Samuel Pyeatt Menefee

This book is a great read. It is a great encouragement to any one of any faith. Gladys' story is pure inspiration to the way we live. She faced many harsh circumstances, and through relying on her Lord and simply pushing on, she made it through some of, probably, China's hardest years. The way in which this book was written seemed to be so that any one would be able to read it easily. It would be great for any child from grade 4 and up. It is easy to understand, and it is truly and adventure story. Although there are some typos, it doesn't affect the overall story. It is most definitely a great find for any one, and I challenge you to pick this one up some time. It will be a challenge to put it down.