Customer Reviews

Beyond the Stone Arches: An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932

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"Beyond the Stone Arches" is the gripping story of a pioneer missionary doctor who served for four decades in a mission station deep in the interior of Fujian province. Each chapter could stand alone, for the scene changes from Imperial China to the shaky, new Republic in 1911, to civil wars, banditry, floods, plague and cholera epidemics - but through it all, Edward Bliss, Jr. tells the story of his father's daily work, his love for China and its people, his ventures such as raising milk cows so children could have milk, and his courage in the face of danger from Communist guerrillas, bandit gangs and rampant warlords. The book reads like an autobiography, for the author draws heavily on his own extensive interviews with his father and his father's letters, plus the author's own memories of childhood in pre-modern China. This is not a stereotype "missionary book!"

This is a wonderfully written account of a missionary's life in early 20th century China. Both educational and entertaining. Well worth the reader's time. Ed Bliss does the subject exquisite justice.

From what I've read of reviews and from what I know of the content of this beautifully written biography of a father by his son.