For what cause would a person decide to sacrifice their time, money, and perhaps their own life blood? Surely any vital decision would be made for good reasons. In the new book Wuxia America the story of a Chinese American doctor illustrates what it truly means to be a hero. Dr. Jason Lou represents a medical tradition transmitted over centuries through his family lineage. In 1857, his ancestor brought their medical arts to California from China to serve the growing Chinese population who arrived during the gold rush and railroad building period. In today’s social atmosphere of hate-crimes, mistrust, and emotionally clouded thought, Dr. Lou carries on with his familial and professional duties in an unassuming way, until a feature article about him appears in a California newspaper. He soon finds himself in life-threatening situations due to the activities of an international crime syndicate. The story that unfolds meshes the past with the present. Dr. Lou’s strengths come from the vital elements of his cultural inheritance, Eastern and Western. He resonates much with the many colorful details provided in the book about the early Chinese immigrants. Lou is invited to Washington, D.C., to join a governmental team formed to solve the interrelated crimes. It is Dr. Lou who proves vital in the investigation. Some years later Dr. Lou and his wife are vacationing in New Zealand. Here they realize the profound significance of what they’ve learned from their fateful brush with organized crime. Readers of Wuxia America will likewise find inspiration and strength that encourage heroism in daily life. This book should be of particular interest to Chinese Americans who can take pride in their history and be inspired by the main character as a role model — a hero in the broadest sense.
