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Chen Liko and Mei Lin are deeply in love, but they must wait another two years to marry, when Liko is twenty-two. Liko’s father died recently, and Mei Lin lost her mother when she was very young. Their small house church in the rural village of Tanching, China, is divided into three small cell groups. Liko heads one group, Mei Lin’s father a second, and Liko’s mother the third. Mei Ling spends her free afternoons evangelizing throughout Tanching. Liko teaches on weekends.
Mei Lin spent several months in Shanghai Prison for her beliefs. She is now unable to bear a child because of the starvation and torture she endured there. She keeps this sorrow from Liko. Mei Lin is invited to come to Shanghai for the summer and work in a Christian orphanage. Liko fears for Mei Lin’s safety, but he knows she must answer God’s call on her heart. In Shanghai, Mei Lin falls in love with an abandoned infant she finds and discovers the wonderful mother she could have been.
After Mei Lin's departure, an attractive young visitor to Tanching tells Liko and his pastor friends about an opportunity to receive formal theological training. Although this is illegal in China, the plan is to divide into small groups to avoid suspicion by the Public Security Bureau. They agree it is a fine opportunity, but Liko's mother has reservations. The group soon learns that they have been kidnapped by a cult that attempts to convert Christians by torture, drugs, and brainwashing.
Well written and suspenseful, this is a novel I will reread. I was shocked to learn of the horrors many Chinese Christians endure. Their conviction and endurance inspire me, and I’m now determined to pray for them regularly. Based on true events, ACROSS THE CHINA SKY is the sequel to DAUGHTER OF CHINA. Both novels reveal the faith and challenges of the Chinese Christian church.
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
February 5, 2007
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