Books & Beyond

Mark Carson, the young American reporter, ventured into Chinatown to look for some anecdotes. There he met Pan, a half white, half Chinese girl.

No one quite knew how hard Pau Lin was trying to shield her son from the Americanized way of living, until the little boy’s life was taken by his own loving mother right before he was about to attend an American school.

In talking with Wou Sankwei, Adah Charlton realized the cause of the marital crisis between the couple: Wou Sankwei had embraced the Americanized way of living during his long stay here while Pau Lin, new to the country, was resolved to hold on tight to her traditional Chinese values.

On her trip to Chinatown for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Adah Charlton figured out why Pau Lin’s husband Wou Sankwei had a special feeling for her.

Pau Lin, the wife of Wou Sankwei, could sense the different attitude her husband held towards one young America lady whom he had known for 7 years. It made Pau Lin suspicious and jealous while she was still getting used to living on a foreign land.

Though living in America, Wou Sankwei’s wife lived with traditional Chinese values that were expected from a “decent” woman in the 20th century.

After 7 years of hard work, Wou Sankwei finally built his life in San Francisco, and became known as a successful businessman. He considered it time to send for his wife, whom he barely knew.

Wou Sankwei, the son of a late Chinese official, decided to travel to America to pursue his own dreams.

Mary Carman showed up at Alice Winthrop’s doorstep, expressing her willingness to take Alice as her daughter-in-law.

After learning about the life of Alice Winthrop, Mary Carman dropped her prejudice against the lady her son hearted and was convinced that though having come from a humble background, Alice achieved success through her own efforts.