cover image Vision of Destiny

Vision of Destiny

Whitney Stine. Ace Books, $3.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-441-86458-4

Set in China in the turmoil following the collapse of the Manchu Empire, this love story of Chinee and Armor involves a clash of cultures. Husband and wife struggle to break free of the superstitions binding them to traditional China through their education and faith (both have ""eaten'' Christianity). They also work to support revolution; in Europe they purchase arms for the fighters, and both there and at home they propagandize the coming society. Their eventual success is personalthey learn to express their love for each other, conquer their past and redefine their roles. Although many of the plot's complications are implausibly resolved, the narrative sustains interest and the account of the difficulties in adjusting to a new way of life is particularly striking. Stine is author of The First Daughter. January