Flash House
Aimee Liu Book Review

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Plot Summary of Flash House

"

Warner, Feb 2003, 24.95, 458 pp.
ISBN: 0446530972

Early in 1949 while her journalist husband Aidan Shaw works in the China Bureau, Joanna manages a retreat for young New Delhi girls sold into prostitution. Because of his criticism of Chiang Kai-Shek, the House on un-American Activities through the FBI begins looking into Aidan and Joanna. To reduce the heat from the States, Aidan is reassigned to cover the war in Kashmir. However, Joanna learns that his plane crashed, but no bodies were recovered.

Needing closure and in denial, Joanna refuses to accept the official position that her spouse is dead. She tries official channels, but the State Department, Aidan's media agencies, and other government officials provide her with stonewalling bureaucratic bunk. Disgusted with everyone from the US to China to the UN to India, she turns to Aidan's best friend, Australian Secret Service Agent Lawrence Malcolm who insists that if she wants the truth she must journey to Kashmir. Joanna, Lawrence, and ten-year-old Kamla (rescued from a brothel) begin their trek in Kashmir, but soon finds the Civil War in China holds the answers.

FLASH HOUSE is a powerful historical action thriller that brings to life the period of the Communist Revolution in China. The story line vividly displays the era in China and India, and implies what the atmosphere back in DC was like. The audience will care about Joanna and want her to succeed even though she may detest what she learns about Aidan. Though loaded with action, Aimee Liu insures the key players (the three travelers and indirectly Aidan) are fully developed in a tale that guides the reader through the dynamics of 1949 Asia.

Harriet Klausner

Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout.

"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Flash House

Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Culture clash? - visiting a culture in other country
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - Chinese
Coping with loss of loved one(s) Yes
Loss of... - husband/boyfriend/squeeze
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 (a fair amount)
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - India - China

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript

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Aimee Liu

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Flash House Aimee Liu Book Review

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Aimee Liu Book Review