John Meehan SJ, (Canada), professor of history, Campion College, University of Regina, author of Chasing the Dragon in Shanghai
Many thanks for sending me your manuscript, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Your text reminds me of Vicki Baum’s Shanghai ’37. It displays a similar talent for bringing out the role of personality in historical events. You paint an excellent picture of life in Shanghai at the time.
Your depth of character development is indeed impressive. Based on actual historical events – and your own creative abilities – you have brought these characters to life for the reader, presenting them as long neglected personalities of Shanghai’s past. All in all, you tell a wonderful story which makes for compelling reading. I couldn’t put it down and as I read it, I kept thinking it would make an excellent film.
You have really captured the spirit of Shanghai of that time with your references to specific clubs, songs, places, writers, gangsters, HKSB, Kelly & Walsh, Del Monte’s et al. What an intimate knowledge of Shanghai! It is a wonderful evocation of a bygone era, one sure to appeal to many readers. Your understanding of the literary culture of the time is superb and makes me want to include this on the reading list for my Tokyo-Shanghai course. Congratulations on a wonderful manuscript! It is beautifully written.