Shanghai Diary

It is always sad to have a good book come to an end. In this case, the ending of Shanghai Diary marked a very happy turning point in the life of the author, Ursula Bacon, and her family.

Shanghai Diary: A Young Girl's Journey from Hitler's Hate to War-Torn China is a memoir about Bacon's own childhood. At once idyllic, her life changes dramatically when she and her parents flee Germany and persecution from Hitler. Luckily Bacon's family was affluent enough to buy passage out of the country for them, but they were unable to get to America, instead opting for China. Continuing to dream of life in America, Bacon and her family spent more than eight years in China, living out World War II in a foreign country and learning of news from home only sporadically. While life in China was certainly not their dream, they soon realized how much more fortunate they were than those left behind in Germany. Bacon's parents were resourceful and intelligent enough that they were able to reinvent themselves in a country so foreign from their own. And even though Bacon did not experience the care-free childhood or teen years she dreamed of, her experiences were memorable and she did develop friendships with others in a similar situation that she has sustained her entire life.

It is evident from the beginning of this book that Bacon and her family are able to survive their years in China, yet her account is extremely interesting. And just when I wonder if there can be another dimension to World War II that I don't know about, I am always amazed to find that there is.

This was a wonderful memoir about a tragic time period in history which Bacon recounts with great detail and a great resiliency and positive attitude.

Visit Ursula Bacon's website.