Cross-Cultural Love and Loss July 2, 2012

MediaMonday for July 2, 2012: Library Funding Wars, source media The Advocate, Baton Rouge: Budget Omits Library Funding, June 13, 2012.

There will be no Wednesday #litchat as those of us in the USA celebrate Independence Day. We resume on Friday with guest host Daniel Kalla, author of several novels, including the recently published The Far Side of the Sky.

A historical novel set just prior to World War II, The Far Side of the Sky takes readers into Shanghai, the last city to freely accept Jewish refugees from Hitler’s Europe. After the harrowing Nazi rampage through Vienna known as Kristallnacht, Franz Adler, a widower with a young, inquisitive daughter, manages to get passage and permission to leave Vienna. The widow of his recently slain brother and an undesirable artist accompany them on the journey to Shanghai. Once in Shanghai, Franz, a well-regarded surgeon, finds work in a local hospital and soon he is up to his scalpel treating other Jewish refugees. Franz finds support among a thriving Jewish community, most of them refugees, and his sister-in-law finds her own destiny. Once considered the Paris of Asia, Franz finds a Shanghai infected with Nazi spies, while the Japanese army chokes whole sections of the city. In Soon Yi (Sunny), a beguiling and determined Eurasian nurse, Franz finds a partner with the courage to confront the hunger, hopelessness and disease fermenting throughout Shanghai. Romance, drama and a glimpse into a little-known theater of Holocaust history meet with satisfying results in The Far Side of the Sky.

Born, raised, and still residing in Vancouver, Daniel Kalla spends his days (and sometimes nights) working as an emergency room physician in an major teaching hospital. In his off time, he writes and manages a dual career. He is the author seven books, including the recently published The Far Side of the Sky. Daniel’s books have been translated into 11 languages to date, and his novels Pandemic and Resistance have been optioned for feature films. He is a three-time finalist for the Spotted Owl Award for the Pacific Northwest’s best mystery novel of the year.

Follow Daniel Kalla on Twitter: @DanielKalla.