Why read The Flowers of War?

Book cover of The Flowers of War

Book description

December 1937. The Japanese have taken Nanking. A group of terrified schoolgirls hides in the compound of an American church. Among them is Shujuan, through whose thirteen-year-old eyes we witness the shocking events that follow.

Run by Father Engelmann, an American priest who has been in China for many years,…

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Literary fiction

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Flowers of War as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Tong Ge

Author

I love this book for its unique perspective. Most war stories feature heroic protagonists—whether fighting on the front lines, operating behind enemy lines, or innocent victims enduring hardship and struggling to survive. However, this book presents a group of characters who ordinarily would be unlikely to cross paths. A Roman Catholic priest and a deacon in an American church during the Japanese occupation of Nanking in China were tasked with protecting 16 schoolgirls. They unexpectedly become entangled with 13 young prostitutes from a famous brothel and three injured Chinese soldiers.

The priest faces an impossible dilemma: allowing the prostitutes to…

From Tong's list on Chinese modern history.