Customer Reviews

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

5 star:		(3)
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This is quite simply one of my favorite books of all time, & I never ceased to be inspired by the adventures & courage of Gladys Aylward. She leaves England in her mid 20's, determined to reach China in spite of a war raging at the Chinese/Russian border, and eventually makes her way to a remote Chinese village where she sets up an inn with an aging missionary woman. After her partner's death, Gladys continues the mission inn alone, coming to be known as "Ai-weh-deh," the virtuous one. Her love & compassion for the people she meet form the substance of this fascinating story, including her friendship with the local mandarin. During World War II, Gladys, now a naturalized Chinese citizen, finds herself in charge of over 100 Chinese orphans with the Japanese army coming & Japanese planes dropping bombs from overhead. What happens to Gladys & the children? Does she find true love in the arms of the Chinese partisan soldier she has come to love & trust? Does she ever return to England? And what happened when the mandarin sent her alone into the midst of a murderous prison riot, believing that Aiwehdeh can do anything? Read the story yourself if you want to find out . . . I've read this story many times & it never fails inspire me & make my own troubles seem small. If Gladys could cope with such immense odds & not give up . . . what inspiration for our own lives. You will not be disappointed in this wonderful, wonderful book. I would give it more stars if I could.

I have seen the movie and found the book more detailed and well written. It's amazing how much history we are unaware of in our lifetime.
I would recommend all ages (teens on up) to read this fast moving, action packed, historical and fastening book. It made me purchase the other books written by this author.

This outstanding movie should NOT be relegated to the files of the unimportant, irrelevant or passe. It is a gripping and TRUE story of a young woman of an earlier time who sacrificed everything we call important to carry her inner spiritual calling to a strange and unwelcoming land.