Beyond the Stone Arches: An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932

Advance Praise for Beyond the Stone Arches "Now the world can share the life of this great man. In its intimate detail, this is a fascinating story that serves as a valuable introduction to the people of a country so important to us today."-Walter Cronkite "A fascinating look at China from the point of view of an American medical missionary, this absorbing life of a quiet hero rings with authenticity and sheds light on the turbulent years from the late 1800s to 1932 that will be a revelation for most Western readers."-Adeline Yen Mah, author of Falling Leaves "This is a proud man's story of a father who lived a life of a medical missionary in China for forty years-a life of service, sacrifice, joy, and fulfillment. The pages turn easily and quickly with humor, care, and love. It's a jewel of a book that will remain with you forever."-Jim Lehrer, The News Hour "A small gem. Edward Bliss embarked, against great odds, on a remarkable range of activities aimed at improving the livelihood of common people. He was a veritable one-man Peace Corps. His is an inspiring story that warms the heart and enriches the soul."-H. T. Huang, author of Science and Civilization in China "It took three years for Edward Bliss, M.D., to ascend the Min River in a convoy of three river junks in 1893, averaging fourteen miles a day. This was his first trip to Shaowu, which became his home for forty-two years, a tumultuous and dangerous time and place. His son tells the story of his father's life and work in fascinating detail, drawing on a trove of letters and extensive interviews with his father."-Donald MacInnis, former Methodist missionary and China Program Director, National Council of Churches/USA

Table of Contents:
Partial table of contents: "I Have Fallen Among Friends". "Strange How Clearly We Remember Long Past Events". "The Most Fool Thing I Ever Did". "Just Imagine That". "It is Good to Feel Needed". "A Great Way to Take a Tonic". "There is No One to Consult, Only the Great Physician". "I Have Come Home!" "There is Still Hope!" "I Regret That We Did Not Put Up Houses Better Suited For the Chinese". "They Are Highly Refined, Educated in Convents, I Suppose". "I Am Growing Stronger All the Time for My Work". "There Are a Good Many Things Indicative of a Change". "We Aren't Supposed to Solicit, But...". "Sometimes in a Certain Sense Discouraged". "I Must Admit I'm Tired". "We Must Help Them Extricate Themselves". "Now I Sleep Soundly At Nights". "The Next Morning I Found Havoc Everywhere". "Something in the Future Was Not Enough". "Kienning Had Fallen". "The Red Army is at the Gates". Epilogue.

About the Author :
EDWARD BLISS Jr. has had a distinguished career in broadcasting. He was writer/producer for Edward R. Murrow and news editor for Walter Cronkite prior to founding the broadcast journalism program at American University. In 1993, he was honored with the prestigious Paul White Award for lifetime achievement in electronic journalism. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Review :
"When you were so sick in infancy, and there was little hope of your recovery, did I not earnestly pray that the Lord would spare your life that you might live for His glory," wrote the devout Emily Lydston Bliss in 1891 to her oldest son and the author's father, Edward, upon hearing that he had cosen to become a missionary doctor in China. Relying on letters from and conversations with his father and others, as well as his own recollections of living in China as the son of two missionaries, Bliss offers a lovely account of his father's lifelong devotion to China and its people. The author perfectly balances an objective description of his father's contributions as a physician and Christian missionary with a genuine warmth and respect for him. As a backdrop to the primary story of his father's work, Bliss describes the larger sociopolitical events taking place both in China and around the world - recalling that his father once described himself and his fellow American missionaries as "the first anti-isolationists." Bliss senior suffered bouts of malaria, plagues and flood, but it would only be in the wake of Mao's rise to power that Edward would leave China. Bliss succeeds beautifully in painting a private view of a transformative period in world history through the eyes of one man. Readers will recognize Bliss's name from his long and distinguished career in broadcast journalism, which will contribute to sales of this excellent book. -- Publishers Weekly