"China, Through the Eyes of Wan Sun"
The story is about a young Chinese girl as she progresses through college and goes on to become a journalist for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. As she rises in her journalistic career, she eventually becomes the paper's correspondent to the United Nations at the age of 23. Her travels to the UN in NYC and throughout the world lead her to many adventures and an ever-increasing concern for the subjugation of women in many third world societies. While in NY she meets the man who will eventually become her husband, Don Cortez, a native of Spain and a Medical Doctor serving with Doctors Without Borders. At age 27 she and Don get married and return to Beijing where she becomes active in a Chinese human rights organization and Don studies advancements made to cure Alzheimer Disease at Beijing Central Research Hospital. She has a baby daughter and eventually has to decide whether to curtail her ever-expanding career to be a full time parent or try to both raise a child while continuing her women's rights activist role. At age 34 she is appointed to become China's leading women's rights advocate as a Deputy Commissioner in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. At age 39 she is appointed to become the Vice-President and Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council. At age 42 she becomes the Secretary General Of the UN
As Wan goes through her meteoric rise to leadership in her country and then in the world, she maintains close contact with her family, friends and acquaintances throughout China. Her primary contact and confidant throughout the book is her former High School English Teacher, Miss Mia Lee. Each of her contacts has his or her own story to tell about their life in China and how their circumstances evolve with the ever-improving social and economic conditions. Each of these contacts represent "real" people in China and reflect their actual opinions that they have expressed to the author in email correspondence.
The story begins in June of 2008 when Wan gets the results of her Universal Education Exams, which are so vital to all Chinese students. The results of these exams determine where students can attend college and what fields of study are open to them.
Throughout the book, Wan will encounter many of the major issues affecting the lives of all humans including human rights, women's rights, terrorism, racial issues, religion issues, sexuality and ethnicity issues, global warming, health care, world poverty, education, world population etc etc.
Essentially the book addresses the evolvement of the world society of humans as we transition into "GLOBALIZATION"!
In the end Wan becomes the first woman Secretary General of the UN and she lives happily ever after!
Plot outline/table of Contents
Forward
Chap 1 UEE Results
Chap 2 Mia Lee
Chap 3 Visit to Hong Kong
Chap 4 - This chapter provides detailed background regarding the third major character in the novel, Tina - the tour guide in Chapter 3. Through out the story, Tina will remain a close friend and confidant with Sunny. When Sunny goes to college at UHK, she will often meet with her friend Tina with whom she will discuss her personal life and begin to get into some of the human rights issues that will be introduced throughout the book. In real life Tina is an English teacher in China but has a dream of someday becoming the manager of a large hotel where she will have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. Later in the story will indeed become the manager of a major large hotel in Hong Kong.
Chap 5 - This chapter will be about Sunny's participation as a volunteer in the Summer Olympics of 2008. Here she will meet TBD-1 who will become a TBD to Sunny and will go on as another major character in the novel.
Chap 6 - This chapter provides detailed background regarding the fourth major character in the novel, TBD-1, - the person Sunny meets at the Olympics in Chapter 5.
Chap 7 - This Chapter will be about Sunny's collegiate career at the University of Hong Kong, including her academic life as well as her social life. Her major will be journalism and her minor will be world affairs. She will meet "a boy" for the first time and will also become active in student political affairs on campus. For her third year she will attend college in the US and then return to Hong Kong for her fourth and final year. She will become a best friend with (TBD-2) while in college. TBD-2 will become another life time friend and confidant.
Chap 8 - This chapter provides detailed background regarding TBD-2. TBD-2 is a college student in real life and will provide much of the insight of what college life is really like in China.
Chap 9 - This chapter is about Sunny embarking on her career as a journalist with the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Eventually she will become the correspondent to the United Nations for this paper. This assignment will require that she move to New York City.
Chap 10 (New Character - Don Cortez - future husband)
Chap 11 First Human Rights Issue - "Women's Rights"
Chap 12 NYC/UN
Chap 13 Don Cortez/Marriage
Chap 14 Back to Beijing/Daughter/Women's Rights Activist
Chap 15 Ministry Of Civil Affairs
Chap 16 Back to the UN
Chap 17 Other Human Rights
Chap 18 Secretary General of UN
Major Characters:
Wan Sun
Mia Lee
Tina
(Guy- TBD) at the Olympics
(Sherry - TBD)
Minor Characters:
Jim
Don
Ling
(Others - TBD)