Carol Ann Nix - Dragon hearts: love in China

PRAISE FOR DRAGON HEARTS LOVE IN CHINA

Love this book. You will too. It is a must read. I love journals and personal experiences on location. I read it almost non-stop, and then, read it again slower. If you like drama, this has it. The blizzard, stuck on a train in China, totally grabbed me. I know it is a true story, saw it in the paper in the United States. I hope this is the first book in a series of books on Carol Anns travels in China. I would love to pre-order the next one. Count me in Carol Ann. Great book. Congrats!

-Beverly Brosmer

This book is fun to read and educational too! It is a great way to learn about China, her culture, and her people. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I cant wait for the sequel!

-Amazon Reviewer

I loved this book and if you want to learn about the people of China, this is the book to read. It blended the culture of an American teacher with her Chinese colleagues and students. Made me realize the difference in the cultures really didnt change the fact that we are all human and can embrace others with open arms.

-Dr. Nancy Denlinger

I enjoyed reading about Carol Anns adventures in China. She allows us to feel what she does, and to see a culture and its people as she did, with an open mind and heart. She reminds me that it is people that make life worth living, and that our differences can be what make it most interesting.

-Don McManus

An amazingly personal account of one American womans experiences teaching for a year in China! And a marvelous study of the differences, and more importantly, the SIMILARITIES between our peoples and cultures. Absolutely a must read book!

-John W. Wieder

Thanks to a trusted friends book recommendation, I just finished reading (and loving!) Dragon Hearts: Love in China. Frankly, one of the reasons I was prompted to read it was due to the fact that the author is a bright, single, Midwestern woman, successful college professor, and attorney. With this resume, I felt certain she would be well suited to offer readers a unique perspective of China that would differentiate itself from any Id previously read. Having just now finished the book, I am grateful to report that Ms. Nix delivers! This is a fascinating story that readers will not only immensely enjoy, but also think about time and again for many years to come. Throughout her memoir, the author deftly invites us along with her as she comes to know, and later hold in highest regard, the Chinese people, their protocol, and cultural perspectives. Also, it certainly doesnt hurt (from this readers perspective!), that along the way Ms. Nix falls in love not only with the Chinese people, but also with one of Beijings handsome and most eligible younger men! Their story delves into not only the possibilities, but also the roadblocks, that a relationship of this nature would necessarily bring. DRAGON HEARTS: LOVE IN CHINA, is a fascinating read, and one that will remain with you long after you (begrudgingly!) finish the last page! Highly Recommended!

-Jennifer Cressy Deane

This beautifully written book builds a bridge between American and Chinese cultures. In the dailiness of living, Carol Ann Nix has captured the essence of modern life in China not only the sights, sounds, smells and tastes but also in the relationships she formed. She shares her experiences with clarity, honesty and vulnerability, and teaches in a myriad of ways that we are more alike than different. A must read for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of human nature. Im eagerly looking forward to the sequel!

-Anna

Other than being there yourself, I dont know a better way to experience the truth and reality of life in China. This isnt acting as presented on a movie set in China. This isnt posturing for business or political purposes. This is the real thing, the daily experiences of someone who is both inside and outside the culture a Westerner not just viewing, but loving, living, sharing life in China with true friends. If you want to know what its really like to live, work, and travel in China, read this book...

-Patrick McManus

What a pleasant surprise to read a book of truth, honesty, and sensitivity combined with love and values all wrapped up into one. It tells a story of the human connection we all share, no matter what part of this little blue planet we live on. The author Carol Ann Nix held my interest as she educated me on our cultural differences and similarities. She reveals openly and freely her own vulnerability in experiencing a love relationship with a special tall, handsome, very traditional, honorable man, and emphasizes The fact that China is a Communist country does not compromise the good hearts of her people.

-Carl J. Rossow

I enjoy Carol Anns writing style. She takes you on each of her adventures. OMG! I remember being safe at home in Indiana when I watched TV and saw the buried train in Inner Mongolia.

-Bob Mead

SELECTED QUOTATIONS

~ I watched Yo step off the train at 6:00 a.m. I couldnt have missed him even if he hadnt been the only person on the plat-form early New Years morning and even if he hadnt worn the red jacket his mama gave him. He was six feet tall and knockout handsome by any countrys standards. He was mine for the next three days.

~ The howling blizzard was a monster pounding on our puny train car. I looked out the windows but saw nothing. They were opaque from ice and wind-driven snow. We were stranded in a remote and desolate part of North China. All fourteen hundred of us were defenseless. Only the windows and thin walls separated us from the fierce frosttt-breathing dragon outside.

~ Its November and nippy, but theres no heat in China. The government sets the heat on date in the fall and the heat off date in spring. Were having a blue-lip cold spell. Americans would storm the White House if our government controlled thermostats. This is the first clear indication that Im living in a Communist country.

~ How fortunate I am to be an insider and learn the way the Chinese think.

~ Anna forwarded a YouTube video. I replied, Sweet Anna, I cant open YouTube in China. Its blocked. Facebook and Twitter too. Its a Communist government thing.

~ I am a seagull lost in a typhoon above a vast China sea. The elements tumble and toss me about. Im learning not to have expectations. Im learning to go with the flow as never before. I must live from moment to moment. It would be senseless and personally destructive to think or live any other way. I must be flexible or snap.

~ I forged through a thick cloud of brown construction dust on my way to the bus. Three heavy-duty earth-moving machines kicked it up. Somehow the pesky particles penetrate my apartment and coat every flat surface. Everyone in Beijing inhales carcinogens. Some of us are more aware of it than others.

~ In class we continued watching Dances With Wolves. I recognize a strong parallel between the way John Dunbar became progressively more Indian throughout the movie and the way I am becoming progressively more Chinese in Beijing.

~ I have the apartment to myself. The silence that surrounds me is rich and golden. It is silence of alone, but not of lonely. It is silence that speaks volumes about peaceful solitude and personal reflection. Being single is good. Being alone is good. Being in Beijing is good. I am grateful for everything.

~ I am a star here. People stop and stare. Why? Im an American.

~ Im the right woman for Yo now, I thought. Im certain of that. He will never again have an American best friend with my background, experience, and willingness to teach him everything I know. The future is the future. I will live in the now with Yo and enjoy every moment until his future doesnt include me anymore or until my future doesnt include him.