Small Footsteps In The Land Of The Dragon

Before Communism took hold, China has a radically different place. "Small Footsteps: In the Land of The Dragon, Growing up in China" tells the tale of an American girl growing up in old China before the civil wars and Japanese invasions. Painting a unique picture of a land so long ago and the traditional Chinese culture and spirit before it was radically changed by its constant twentieth century conflicts. Truly unique, insightful, and fascinating, "Small Footsteps" is a read well worth considering for those interested in pre-Communist China.

Small Footsteps in the Land of the Dragon tells the story of the author's childhood while growing up in China just before WWII. In many ways, her childhood was rather unique. For instance, even though the family was not rich by American standards, her family still had servants as per Chinese custom. As a young teenager, she was also separated from her parents for some time while American citizens were being evacuated during what the Chinese only called the Japanese incident. I very much enjoyed learning about life in China before the war. However, the thing that really stood out for me most about this book was that it pointed out that children are children no matter where they live or when they grow up. We all go through the same things in slightly different ways. There is something in these experiences that resonates deeply within us all.