This latest book from the prolific Dean Barrett, “The
China Memoirs of Thomas Rowley” (ISBN978-0-9788888-3-1, Village East Books,
2013) is written as “memoirs” of an American soldier Thomas Rowley during
the Taiping Rebellion of 1850-1864.
In those very troubled times, soldiers of fortune or mercenaries were
attracted to areas in the world where conflicts abounded, and their talents
as warriors earned them wealth or death. The better ones survived.
“China Memoirs” calls upon author Dean Barrett’s extensive knowledge of
China, coming from his time as a Chinese linguist during the Vietnam
conflict. He has also written eight other books with China-related material,
showing that his knowledge is certainly deep.
If I were to describe the plot by which this book is held together, it would
be an example of the Stockholm syndrome, such as demonstrated by Patty
Hearst and her kidnap by the Symbionese Liberation Army, where she
eventually “changed sides” and was arrested for bank robbery on behalf of
her captors.
Stockholm syndrome, or capture-bonding, is a psychological phenomenon in
which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings
toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them. These
feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk
endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their
captors for an act of kindness.
In the book, Thomas Rowley has his spirit broken and he mistakes lack of
abuse for an act of love. When the life of the leader of the Chinese women
was threatened, he gives a warning to them, putting himself in danger “but
of far more importance to me by then was wanting nothing to harm Golden
Lilly or any of the women.” Also while waiting for punishment, “I no longer
cared about myself; only sweet Little Sister. She was all that mattered to
me.”
On his return to America, Rowley lapses into clinical depression which
becomes a permanent part of his life. Today, he would be treated, but in
1922 when he died, there was no treatment.
In my review of Skytrain to Murder I stated that “Dean Barrett manages to
maintain the pace and the environment all the way through the book … This
ability to present real characters in real surroundings gives this book an
immediacy and credibility that exhorts you to keep on reading.” He has done
the same with this book set in China in 1862. His knowledge of Chinese
history, including small details, makes for fascinating reading, even
without the eroticism in the plot. The details of the garments worn by
western women in 1862 are given to the reader as a verbal striptease, rather
than a laundry list, for example! Other small details can be found in the
inhabitants of a Chinese village of the day who were “a motley collection of
barbers, blacksmith, butcher, joss-sellers, fortune-tellers, story-tellers,
vagrants, thieves, pipe-sellers, beggars, arrow-makers, basket-weavers,
vegetable sellers, shoe-makers, fishmongers and carpenters.”
At B. 450 through Asia Books and Bookazine, you will enjoy this erotic romp,
and even learn something of China at the same time.
