The Middle Heart Paperback - 1997
by Bette Bao Lord
1932: As China shamefully kowtows under Japanese occupation, three unlikely companions are fatefully bound by their steadfast patriotism: an heir to a once-great aristocracy; his crippled servant; and "Firecrackers", a poor grave keeper's daughter masquerading as a boy. Enmeshed in a love triangle, they will live to see their loyalty to one another tested again and again.
From the rear cover
"TRULY MOVING . . . BETTE BAO LORD IS AT HER STRONGEST."
--The Boston Globe In 1932, as China shamefully kowtows under Japanese occupation, three unlikely companions are fatefully bound by their steadfast patriotism: Steel Hope, heir to a once-great aristocracy; Mountain Pine, his crippled, scholarly servant; and Firecrackers, a poor gravekeeper's daughter. In a youthful pact, they call themselves "Brothers of the Middle Heart," vowing to defend their country to the end.
Yet as war and, later, the Communist Revolution ignite, cruel circumstances separate them. One becomes a political leader, one a writer, one an actress. But despite incessant historical upheaval, their lives continue to intertwine in poignant, often tragic, ways. Enmeshed in a love triangle, they will live to see their loyalty to one another tested again and again. Through these three richly drawn characters, Bette Bao Lord re-creates the stirring drama of twentieth-century China. In vivid, haunting prose she evokes the outrages that marred fifty years of the Chinese people's existence--and illuminates the remarkable resilience that defines them to this day.
From the jacket flap
"TRULY MOVING . . . BETTE BAO LORD IS AT HER STRONGEST."
--The Boston Globe In 1932, as China shamefully kowtows under Japanese occupation, three unlikely companions are fatefully bound by their steadfast patriotism: Steel Hope, heir to a once-great aristocracy; Mountain Pine, his crippled, scholarly servant; and Firecrackers, a poor gravekeeper's daughter. In a youthful pact, they call themselves "Brothers of the Middle Heart," vowing to defend their country to the end.
Yet as war and, later, the Communist Revolution ignite, cruel circumstances separate them. One becomes a political leader, one a writer, one an actress. But despite incessant historical upheaval, their lives continue to intertwine in poignant, often tragic, ways. Enmeshed in a love triangle, they will live to see their loyalty to one another tested again and again. Through these three richly drawn characters, Bette Bao Lord re-creates the stirring drama of twentieth-century China. In vivid, haunting prose she evokes the outrages that marred fifty years of the Chinese people's existence--and illuminates the remarkable resilience that defines them to this day.
Details
- Title The Middle Heart
- Author Bette Bao Lord
- Binding Paperback
- Edition First Edition
- Pages 416
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Ballantine Books, New York, NY, U.S.A.
- Date 1997-07-14
- ISBN 9780449912324 / 0449912329
- Weight 1.2 lbs (0.54 kg)
- Dimensions 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 in (21.34 x 13.97 x 2.79 cm)
- Reading level 980
-
Themes
- Ethnic Orientation: Asian - General
- Library of Congress subjects Historical fiction, Friendship
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 97090021
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Media reviews
Citations
- New York Times, 07/20/1997, Page 32
- NY Times Notable Bks of Year, 01/01/1997, Page 97
- Publishers Weekly, 06/16/1997, Page 0
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