Wandering Lonely as a Cloud

Beyond the typical confines of a memoir, Charles Wu offers readers a vivid tour of the historical and cultural context from prewar Shanghai to revolutionary Beijing and a unique intellectual's journey abroad. In addition to exceptionally candid and vivid details of the constant political turmoil in China spanning four decades, aided by Wu's photogenic memories and lively descriptions, the book also lays bare his own transformative journey of values and faiths-from a mix of Confucian and Western influence in youth to forced indoctrination of Communism through the formative years of early adulthood, and eventually to adoption of Christianity and Western values.