Into the Tiger's Mouth, a historical biography based on family letters

David Dana, author of Into the Tiger's Mouth: A Novel of the China Trade, 1857-1863 (http://amzn.to/1jetm88, spent about 20 years)  researching and writing a historical novel that was inspired by letters from his great-grandfather who worked in China in the mid-1900s. I was fortunate to have the privilege of helping him edit it. The novel is remarkable for its historical detail and colorful characters, some of which are based on real, historical figures while others are composites or inventions of the author's imagination.

What I found so remarkable about David's book is that he didn't portray his ancestor as a saint; he had flaws -- plenty of them -- and that makes him more real to the reader. The in-depth research that  David conducted adds texture to a fascinating story that keeps the book feeling like a novel rather than a history lesson.

Anyone interested in the evolution of Western business interests and of the individuals who worked in China in the 1850s-60s ought to find this novel fascinating.