A Heart To Survive: First Novel in the Collingwood Series

Inspired by real events, a gripping 20th-century historical fiction story of unjust imprisonment, harrowing escape attempts, filled with suspense, mystery and populated by a cast of unforgettable characters.

It’s December of 1949, and civil war is raging throughout China. The coastal town of Hangzhou erupts in confrontations between the followers of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong. Fourteen-year-old Tao Wen Shun, the upstanding son of an educated family, is reeling from the news that he is being sent to a sponsoring family in Canada to escape the terrors of Mao’s regime. A decision that alters his life. Wen Shun joins other evacuees on a voyage and finds himself under a human trafficking cartel's domination.

A gripping coming-of-age drama, this novel spans two continents and is filled with heart-wrenching action where strength of character prevails.

Who does Wen Shun become as a foreigner in a country whose people, language, and culture he doesn’t know or understand? Beset by the doubts and passions common to anyone in these circumstances, will he find the courage to endure, and how will his future unfold?

Praise for A Heart To Survive:

"Emotionally engaging and compelling saga. Interwoven with suspense, tragedy, deception, loyalty, love, prejudice, and racism occurring through relationships, romance, human trafficking, and workplace injustices. We didn’t want to put the book down." -- Carolyn V.

"A wonderful story filled with emotion and the struggle to survive by taking one step at a time. As Tao Wen Shun (Winson) moves forward on his journey he honors his family’s culture and finds himself looking to adapt to each new situation. In a world that is condemning him for his skin color, he keeps his tact and is immensely careful in his words and actions when it would be easier to lash out. I look forward to the next book in this series to see how he overcomes obstacles and perseveres. When our modern world is still struggling with racial tensions, this book reminds us how far we have come...with certainly much more to go." -- Jerret K.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I loved the characters and would actually like to meet people like them. The storyline kept me interested and eager to find out where the story would take the characters. Thoroughly appreciated the references to the Chinese immigration issues, prejudices that exist, then and now, and the keen observations about human nature." -- Elaine C.