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This is the tale of an eleven-year-old Chinese boy, Tsui Chi Hsii--better known by his American name Charlie Tsui, or Charlie Two Shoes. Befriended by a company of U.S. Marines sent to China shortly after two atomic bombs ended the war with Japan in 1945, Charlie began an odyssey that Norman Vincent Peale labeled one of the most inspirational stories he had ever heard.
The men of Love Company, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, adopted the poor Chinese boy who lived near them in a mud hut, beyond the barbed wire. They gave him food and clothing, taught him English, sent him to church, and paid for his schooling. When the communists took over China in 1949 and the marines were forced to leave, Charlie was left behind and for many years suffered immensely at the hands of the Maoist government for not denouncing his connection with the Americans. The marines returned home and moved on with their lives, but they did not forget their young friend. Thirty-five years later, after Charlie was released from communist prison, those same marines joined together again to help bring him to America. But unsuspected obstacles loomed in Charlie's path, and only his own hard work and the continued help of the now-aging marines got him through. Eventually Charlie was able to bring his family to America, and his life became a true realization of the American dream.
Segments of Charlie Two Shoes's story have appeared on network television, in Reader's Digest and Parade magazine, and hundreds of newspapers across the country. But this moving account by Michael Peterson and David Perlmutt is the first time readers will be treated to the full story. As an affirmation of friendship, loyalty, and perseverance, it is hard to top and will appeal to a broad audience.
