Shanghai Faithful: Betrayal and Forgiveness in a Chinese Christian Family

Through exhaustive research and primary interviews, Lin debuts with this fascinating story of her family, uncovering her paternal side's lengthy adherence to the Christian faith. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Lin grew up knowing little about her relatives in China. However, as she grew older and became more aware of the tribulations of her Chinese relatives, she decided to delve into this history, exploring revelations of both a personal and spiritual nature. China's tumultuous last two centuries witnessed the rise of imperialism, burgeoning nationalism (accompanied with xenophobia), and recent communism (the Cultural Revolution of 1966–76 saw even further measures taken against foreign beliefs and systems). Yet, the deeply planted seed of Christian faith remained strong and flourished within Lin's family. Interviewing her distant kin was often a challenge as many were uncomfortable talking about past troubles. Consequently, this work is an intriguing interlocution between memory and fact.