CHINA IN ANOTHER TIME

A PERSONAL STORY

by Claire Malcolm Lintilhac edited by Doug Wilhelm ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 2019

Lintilhac’s posthumously published memoir focuses on her life in China during a time of great political and social upheaval.

Born in 1899 to a Canadian medical missionary and his wife in a rural Chinese village, the author lived through the Boxer Rebellion, the first national government takeover and collapse, a decade-long period of warlord rule, a successful national government takeover in 1928, and finally, the Communist takeover in 1949. Throughout her narrative, she focuses on how such instability affected the Chinese people, as well as her own daily life as a 24-hour duty nurse. Lintilhac describes a culture that was struggling with destitution; she tells of tending to several children with intestinal parasites, dodging members of an organized beggars’ guild, and listening to stories of parents who sold daughters whom they couldn’t afford to feed. She frequently mentions the practice of foot binding, as well. However, the author’s love and appreciation for her adoptive home, despite its problems, is clear. Her life took her up and down the Chinese coast, and she details the various houseboats and transport ships that she encountered along the way. Lintilhac apparently sought to dispel some misconceptions about China, and she emphasizes the differences in language, modes of travel, and climate across the vast country. The book also contains informative references to various ways in which the Western powers contributed to the region’s volatility. On several occasions, the author emphasizes the privileges and protection that she was afforded as a foreign-born resident. Lintilhac’s house servants play a prominent role in the narrative, but sometimes the author’s tone feels belittling. A note by editor Doug Wilhelm explains the decision to retain her problematic word choices (such as “coolie”), while acknowledging that the terminology is troubling. The narrative concludes abruptly following Lintilhac’s family’s sudden evacuation from China in 1950, ending on the sad note of her husband’s death in New York in 1957 and her decision to move to Vermont. (She died in 1984.) Rare photos and drawings from the memoir’s time period complement the text.

An earnest remembrance that seeks to inform its readers about its setting and its culture.

Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-57869-018-3

Page Count: 246

Publisher: Rootstock Publishing

Review Posted Online: July 21, 2020

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION