The House of Sixty Fathers
by Meindert DeJong
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Review #1
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
“The House of Sixty Fathers” is a book by Meindert DeJong about a Chinese boy. Tien Pao and his family have to escape from Japanese soldiers who are attacking his village. They are staying in Hengyang, and then Tien Pao meets a ‘Yellow River God.’ He takes him across the river and then loses his father’s trust in him because of this. Afterwards, a storm comes up and Tien Pao is carried by the current all the way back to his village, now occupied by Japanese soldiers. Tien Pao starts on his way back to Hengyang, and sees his ‘Yellow River God’ (who is actually an airman) and saves the airman’s life by shouting to warn him. Tien Pao himself is shot at. Journeying on, he finds the ‘House of Sixty Fathers,’ looks for his family, and after flying around in an airplane, finds them at an airfield in Hengyang. “The House of Sixty Fathers” is certainly captivating.
