BELMONT – Robin T.W. Yuan’s recent historical novel, “Red Bishop,” tells the story of our grandfather, Robin Chen, the last presiding bishop of the Anglican Church in China. Yuan charts the bishop’s detailed journey from his early years in an Anglican missionary school and conversion to Christianity to his final days under house arrest. Set in 20th century China, Bishop Chen becomes a Christian leader in an ever-shifting world where his perseverance, faith, and indomitable spirit empower him to overcome continual challenges. This novel’s “blending of personalities and the seething politics of 20th-century China is seamlessly done, and its heroic portrait of its central character is always admiring but never saccharine. A detailed and moving tale about a heroic bishop in atheist China.” (Kirkus Review)
Meticulously researched, “Red Bishop” is a deserving homage to my grandfather’s legacy. Centered on a very human story of one man’s quest to uphold and live out his Christian beliefs and humanistic values under the most challenging of circumstances, much of this story feels both timely and universal. My grandfather and his family’s efforts to both survive and thrive during the Japanese invasion and occupation was especially painful reading as we currently witness the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent carnage that continues unabated there.
