A review by jkdehaven
Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution by Helen Zia

5.0

The book Last Boat Out of Shanghai tells the story of four people who faced Mao's Revolution in China and about their experiences. These people all lived in Shanghai, although their lifestyles and experiences were very different. This is an important piece of history to cover, because the experiences of people in Shanghai and the rest of China during World War II and Mao's Revolution are often overlooked, especially in the American context. This book offers valuable firsthand accounts about what it was like to live through these events and adds a needed complexity to how we view the rise of Communist China in history. It also offers insights into the current refugee crisis, as the author intends, because of how it shows how refugees have been treated throughout the Twentieth Century while also demonstrating what they offer and how they will benefit the countries where they are accepted. As a teacher, I would use this as a way to help students gain better understanding of the time periods we are studying with regards to China. It could be incorporated into lessons on World War II on the Pacific Front as well as lessons on the Cold War. Overall, I highly recommend this book as a way to read the perspectives of others to learn more about an understudied era of history.