Gudao, Lone Islet

The War Years in Shanghai—A Childhood Memoir

In 1937, the Japanese invaded the Chinese city of Shanghai. The neutral Shanghai International Settlement, where Margaret and her family lived, became a gudao (lone islet) of safety from the savagery of the Japanese soldiers. But soon the foreign citizens were interned. This heart-wrenching story, told in the voice of a young girl, brings new insights to a violent period.