LOST IN CHINA

Dobbs recounts her fascinating, unusual childhood in China, an experience that came to a crashing end during World War II.

Dobbs grew up in China, though her parents, Ted and Alice, were British. In fact, her first language was Chinese, and English was largely reserved for school and special occasions. Dobbs’ father lived in China because he was recruited by the British Foreign Office to work as a salt mine inspector under the supervision of China’s department of finance. Her mother was born there since Dobbs’ maternal grandfather, John McGregor Gibb, worked as a chemistry professor at Peking University. The author’s family lived a happy life in Shanghai’s International Settlement, but the onset of war—China and Japan began their hostilities in 1937 before Germany invaded Poland two years later—irrevocably upended everything. Even as danger loomed closer, however, Dobbs’ parents seemed to trust in a false sense of security. Ping San, the head houseboy, anxiously observed: “It’s as though Master and Missy think the Japanese bombs cannot hurt them. They think they’re safe because they’re Western. I don’t think Jap bombs know the difference between Chinese and Western people.” These words turned out to be sadly prophetic—the family was forced to move to Chungking, Guiyang, and Kunming to avoid the relentless Japanese air raids. Disaster finally struck while Ted and Alice were visiting Hong Kong. Japanese forces invaded, killing Ted and taking Alice prisoner, a chilling turn of events moving chronicled by Dobbs. The author deftly combines memoir with imaginative creation. She fills in the blanks of both her memory and experience with artful invention. Her reminiscence is simply extraordinary—historically edifying, emotionally dramatic, and elegantly conveyed.

A gripping memoir brimming with personal and historical insight.