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The Distant Land of My Father
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Plot Summary of The Distant Land of My Father
"Anna loves living with her glamorous parents in Shanghai in the 1930's. Unfortunately, political upheaval creates a risky existance for wealthy Americans abroad. When Anna's mother takes Anna back to California to grow up in safety, the young girl believes the separation is temporary. Her father remains behind in China and is kidnapped and tortured until his eventual release and escape to the US. Unfortunately, as much as he loves Anna, he also loves Shanghai, and Anna's parents are forced to painfully examine their relationships with each other, their daughter, and China."
Holly H, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Distant Land of My Father
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's
Inside culture (main char) - Chinese
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - American Pacific Coast
Coping with loss of loved one(s) Yes
Loss of... - father
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a kid
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - business executive
Eccentric/Smart/Dumb: Yes
Eccentric: - wild - eccentric
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an above average amount
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
United States Yes
Asia/Pacific Yes

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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