Wings of a Flying Tiger

Your novel is truly an insightful and inspiring testimony to heroism and tragedy, which so often go hand in hand. It proves that freedom comes with a hefty price tag. It is also a tribute to the invincible courage of the Chinese people. My father , after seeing the Burma Road from the air, and helping to keep it open with his fighter plane, told me you will never stop the Chinese people from accomplishing anything. If they have to cross a river over the dead bodies of their own people to do it, they will. I love your comments about learning English. The first words of ANY foreign language I ever learned were Chinese! They are “Ding Hao and Bu Hao. “ Don’t know if the spelling’s correct, but my father used to say ding hao and give me the thumb’s up, and bu hao and give me the thumb’s down. I read your novel in one sitting with a break for lunch and really liked it. While the violence makes it difficult to enjoy at times, the truth of it is so vital to the story and to the character and integrity of what constitutes a hero or a champion, that it is actually inspirational. A very courageous novel…well done. A beautifully crafted romance that does honor to the Flying Tigers and the writer as well.

I greatly enjoyed this tale of bloody chaos caused by Imperial Japan’s brutal invasion of China. Irish Yang paints a fascinating picture of life in that country during this period. The details of how people actually lived in areas not hit by the invasion especially interested me. She never data dumps this though, and the story moves along smoothly. Characterization is strong and there is plenty of suspense and action. Despite brief, peaceful interludes, this focuses on survival during a apocalyptic era.A major twist takes place near the end which readers who need completely happy endings may not like. While the Flying Tigers are important here, they don’t play as big a role as one might expect. It looks like the sequel is more focused on their deeds.I’m a weapons geek, and a particular sort of weapon is used in a manner I know to be unrealistic, even though most people wouldn’t care. This ends up being an important plot point in the story, which is one reason I’m not giving this five stars. The other is that I only give such ratings to books that I’d want to reread every year or two. As good as this is, it isn’t quite on that level. Still, I’m very glad I read Wings of the Flying Tiger!

WINGS of aFLYING TIGERIris YangReviewed by Roy Murry, AuthorThis story is a compelling drama that shows the brutality of the human race and culture clashes of three: the Chinese, Japanese, and USA Americans. Unfortunately, war by Imperialist brings them together in China before the entrance of the USA into World War II.A Flying Tiger, American volunteer pilots who flew for the Chinese Nationals, has to survive from a battle. He does but with wounds that need time and mending, landing near a remote Chinese village.In the horrific events that follow, Ms. Yang weaves a love story of a country, survival, and the people surrounding the protection of the Flying Tiger. The names are not famous, what they do is immortal, where evil loses again.Jasmine and Jack's adventures, the main characters, may have ended dramatically, but you'll have to read the book to find out. I can say, you will be shocked and distraught after the read, as I was.WINGS is a swift and emotional read that you will not be able to put down. Take a day off and get ready for a tear-jerking ride.

A deeply personal story of courage, sacrifice, anguish—and love—unraveling on a stage of epic proportions. What young Jasmine Bai endures following the death of her parents at the hands of Japanese in Nanking’s infamous slaughter, is an incredible tale in its own right. However, Iris Yang weaves a deeper story, an emotional roller coaster, for the reader.An American pilot, one of the Flying Tigers who allied with the Chinese against the invaders, has been shot down. Unconscious and barely alive, it is Jasmine, and her cousin, and a grateful town that ultimately decides his fate. As for Jasmine, she and her ‘Flying Tiger’ are fated to fall in love. Yes. This is a love story, and a war story, and so many stories … that is for the reader to discover!I’m looking forward to Iris Yang’s next book.

This is a hard book to read. The unceasing brutality of the invading Japanese is the main premise and it is not for the faint-hearted.Let me, rather say that I am in awe of the author for persisting with the telling of a tale set in what is, clearly, a brutal and savage chapter in the history of relations between China and Japan. The horrors described can not have been easy to write and revisit during editing.While I am not a fan of the book (I don't like graphic violence), the story is told with a brave honesty and the characters are realistic. What they go through is wrenching and you feel a pervasive sadness, evoking a sense of outrage and disgust at the way the Chinese were treated by the Japanese occupiers.An aspect of the book that I did enjoy was the formation of close bonds between individuals, and the impact of those bonds on how the story plays out.

This is an incredibly realistic (fiction based on fact) book about the horrors of war, and specifically, how war and the extreme cruelty of the enemy affects the civilians. The violence bothered me yet I suffered through it because It really happened. The characters are so well developed, I felt I knew them all personally, and grieved when they were hurt. I cried at the end, not for the things that happened as much as for the things that could have happened. It also made me think about how petty all my problems are compared to what these people went through. I wonder if any of the people I know could survive the horrors these people did. A very excellent book!