Sino-American Tales

In Tienkuo: The Heavenly Kingdom, author Li Bo has drawn on his knowledge of East Asian civilization to transport listeners to 19th-century China. There a massive civil war is tearing the Qing dynasty apart.

At the heart of the rebellion is the mysterious Taiping Tienkuo, the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. The Heavenly Kingdom is the center for the Taipings, a religious and political movement determined to overthrow Confucian rule and establish a government based on semi-Christian beliefs. Leading the revolt is a man who claims to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ himself.

The Heavenly Kingdom is home to the devout, the zealous, and the courageous. Some regard them as mere rebels but others as visionaries.

For Jason Brandt, the son of a Hong Kong missionary, the Heavenly Kingdom holds an undeniable allure. Accompanied by his best friend, Wu Sek-chong, and the beautiful and stubborn Black Jade, the young man sets off to see the Heavenly Kingdom for himself.

In the great journey ahead, all three travelers will be tested as they confront their hidden desires and doubts. Could there be catastrophic consequences in the gripping adventure unfolding before them?