Synopses & Reviews
Weaving together intrigue, medical drama, and romance,
The Far Side of the Sky by Daniel Kalla,brings to life an extraordinary and little-known chapter of the Second World War. Stirring and fast-paced, the novel is a sweeping account of a world in tumult and a moving saga about courage in the darkest of times.
November 9, 1938—Kristallnacht. The Nazis unleash a night of terror upon German and Austrian Jews. Franz Adler, a widowed Jewish surgeon, experiences firsthand the wave of violence sweeping Vienna when his beloved younger brother is lynched. Desperate to find sanctuary for his young daughter, Franz hears whispers of Jews fleeing to distant Shanghai in the Far East.
After a harrowing escape from Europe, the Adlers land in Shanghai to find it besieged by the rampaging Japanese army. But the cosmopolitan city—the “Paris of the East”—still represents the last haven for thousands of Jews fleeing the Third Reich.
Franz meets Soon Yi “Sunny” Mah at the refugee hospital where they both volunteer. Half-Chinese and half-American, the compassionate and headstrong young nurse is an outcast in her own culture. Recognizing her ability, Franz agrees to mentor Sunny in surgery.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, tensions soar. With Japanese soldiers lurking on every corner, the threat of starvation, disease, and internment hangs over the Adlers. So does the menace from the Nazis who refuse to let go of the Jewish “escapees.” Franz is torn between ensuring his familys security and following his heart.
Review
"A truly wonderful and important book that adds a fictional story to a significant part of little-known Jewish history."--Tzipi Livni, Official Opposition Leader and former Foreign Minister of Israel
“Kalla deftly portrays the triumph and heartbreak of life-or-death matters.”--Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author, on Of Flesh and Blood
“A family saga set in the world of medicine. Its full of twists and turns and long-brewing feuds.”--Eileen Goudge, New York Times bestselling author, on Of Flesh and Blood
Review
“Combining his medical background with meticulous research, Kalla has written the best sort of historical fiction, in which individual lives are shaken by the tectonic forces of history—and then miraculously reconstructed.”
—David Layton, author of The Bird Factory and Motion Sickness
“Kallas surgeon-steady hand deftly keeps this story moving forward. Readers are sure to develop a genuine interest in the characters fates.”
—The Vancouver Sun
“A definite page-turner.”
—Quill & Quire
“Storytelling, pure and simple.”
—National Post
“The Far Side of the Sky…sweep[s] the reader along for the ride.”
—The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
“In The Far Side of the Sky, a refugee doctor, war-torn Shanghai, and Eichmanns monstrous bureaucracy collide with surgical precision. Only a gurney will keep you from finishing this novels many scenes of triage—both in the operating room and in matters of the heart. Kallas characters mend both body and soul.”
—Daniel Levin, author of The Last Ember
Review
“An amazing novel.” —
The Huffington Post“With its unusual setting and blend of terror, hope, and love, this historical novel deserves a wide readership.” —Library Journal, starred review
“An exciting, often touching story that combines wartime peril and romance in an attractive mix. [Kalla] knows how to weave a good tale, and his characters are endearing.” —Booklist
“I ate up this novel. Recommended.” —Historical Novel Society
“Thats storytelling, pure and simple.” —The National Post
“A big-canvas story with some very well-drawn characters.” —The Globe and Mail
Synopsis
On the eve of the Second World War, a Jewish familys final hope lies across the world, in ShanghaiOn November 9, 1938—Kristallnacht—the Nazis unleash a night of terror for Jews all across Germany. Meanwhile, the Japanese Imperial Army rampages through China and tightens its stranglehold on Shanghai, a city that becomes the last haven for thousands of desperate European Jews.
Dr. Franz Adler, a renowned surgeon, is swept up in the wave of anti-Semitic violence and flees to Shanghai with his daughter. At a refugee hospital, Franz meets an enigmatic nurse, Soon Yi “Sunny” Mah. The chemistry between them is intense and immediate, but Sunnys life is shattered when a drunken Japanese sailor murders her father.
The danger escalates for Shanghais Jews as the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Facing starvation and disease, Franz struggles to keep the refugee hospital open and protect his family from a terrible fate.
Daniel Kalla's The Far Side of the Sky focuses on a short but extraordinary period of Chinese, Japanese, and Jewish history when cultures converged and heroic sacrifices were part of the everyday quest for survival.
About the Author
DANIEL KALLA is the international bestselling author of Pandemic, Resistance, Rage Therapy, Blood Lies, Cold Plague, and Of Flesh and Blood. His books have been translated into eleven languages. Two novels have been optioned for film. Kalla practices emergency medicine in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he lives with his family.