Too soon after WWII and occupation by the Japanese army, Shanghai in 1948 faces occupation by Mao Tse-tung's army. The affluent foreigners believe business will continue as before; hasn't' it always, after every conflict?
The Communist takeover changes the face of Asia. Maria Conti struggles to earn enough from her tiny share in a saloon while knowing that when the American and British servicemen leave China, the business will go with them. Her mother, Ming Chu, knows that, without money, her family's Italian citizenship is useless. The Contis are trapped. On April 20, 1949, the Communists shell the British frigate HMS Amethyst on the Yangtze River. The woosung forts are in flames. Maria's lover, American Army Captain Thaddeus Huell, must evacuate with his unit before he can get the Contis out. Love, a killing, survival--these are Maria's story.
Excerpt
The Year of the Rat: "The motley flotilla crossed the Yangtze River. Sampans, junks, rowboats, barges, rafts--soldiers holding on and being towed--landed on the opposite shore and found no reistance from the Nationalists."
The Snake Woman of Ipanema: "The woman's belly gaped open from sternum to pubis. The torn edges of her dress slid down her sides. There was no blood...The woman blinked drowsily, unaware of the great cleft below her breasts."
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