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    China Connections - A Personal Journey (Paperback) By (author) Ruth Lehtomaki

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    Short Description for China Connections - A Personal JourneyThis book is Ruth's personal journey through life to 'find' her father, and her two physical trips to China in 2006 and 2008 with members of her family, including three siblings who had been born there. It was an eye-opening experience to see how millions of people are living their daily lives.

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    Review from Radio86.com by Stina Björkell4

    Ruth Lehtomaki Sometimes unanswered questions and a sense of incompletion can provide a source for the best stories. For Ruth Lehtomäki, the desire to know more about the years her father spent in China before her birth and the need to fill an emotional void left by the death of this revered family member provided the inspiration for her book 'China Connections - A Personal Journey.'

    As the title reveals, the book chronicles the author's personal quest to discover the China that her father, Harry Fisher, had learned to know and love while working there as a missioner in the first half of the 20th century. This the author does by drawing on authentic records from the era and through detailed accounts of two journeys of discovery to a small village in southwest Chce to uncover the actual setting of her father's "other life." While the author proceeds to unveil the mystery surrounding her father's years in China, another story of perhaps an even deeper meaning unfolds: From the author's brooding and passing references to past ordeals, the reader develops a sense of what the motivation behind the author's decision to trace her father's life is. At the same time, the book serves as a strong reminder of the importance of family relations, and of learning to both ask for forgiveness and to forgive.

    Emotional roller coaster

    'China Connections' is an ideal read for anyone who takes an interest in China and wants to learn about the things that one might find a bit striking when visiting this captivating, yet complex country for the first time. In addition, it presents an intriguing story about a child's fascination with a mystery called China and of the desire of a daughter to somehow reinforce her bond with a father she has lost at an early age. The beautifully written book also has great entertainment value as it provides an ample dose of humor and, as an added bonus, lots of useful information about the Chinese culture.

    Reading the non-fiction work you cannot avoid going through a catalog of emotions from gut wrenching horror to absolute exhilaration. Probably the most deeply stirring example of the former is Lehtomäki's touching account of an encounter with a young boy selling postcards outside a major tourist attraction in Xi'an. At this point in the book the reader wishes from the bottom of his or her heart that the author's presumptions about the boy's situation have no factual ground... More deep-felt emotion is in store when the author describes how, at times, she felt like her father, deceased a long time ago, was talking to her through music her ears would pick up at the most unexpected of moments. The reader can also certainly relate to the author's ruminations about how her father would react to the decisions his daughter had made in her own life and about what kind of plans he had had for the future, should things had gone the way he had hoped.

    At the other end of the spectrum of emotions you find the absolutely hilarious examples of the notoriously bad English people often encounter in China. For example, a list of rules posted on a notice board at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center requested that visitors not pick flowers or "beat animal." The list of nos ends on a more cheerful note, reminding the visitors to "advocate a happy and healthy way of life, resist superstition," and "to avoid pornography, gambling and drug."

    Valuable life lessons

    One of the things that makes 'China Connections' such a great book, is the fact that it is not just another travel journal -- the journey depicted in the book is not just a physical one. In addition, the conclusion that what really matters is the "link between hearts" also reminds us of one of life's most remarkable truths.

    In 'China Connections' the author takes the reader on an eye-opening trip through China while highlighting some of the lesser-known aspects of the nation's turbulent history. In addition, Lehtomäki's keen and endearing observations about the Finnish and British cultures provide an added dimension to an already multifaceted story. But what's most important, with her story, Lehtomäki manages to remind us of the precious, unbreakable bond shared between family members and of the enduring impact our loved ones have on us. Ruth, thank you for sharing this journey with us! by Ruth Lehtomaki

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