Things That Must Not be Forgotten: A Childhood in Wartime China

Set against the dramatic backdrop of China between the wars, this book tells the story of Kwan's life as a young half-caste boy in a Beijing household in the 1930s. He is an awkward, clumsy boy, abandoned by his Swiss mother and overwhelmed by the intellect and power of his father. China is about to be invaded by the Japanese, and when they finally do, with catastrophic force, young Kwan's life is thrown into further turmoil. He is spared the worst of it, though, thanks to his father's well cultivated connections as a railway administrator. However, Kwan's father is also active with the resistance.