Liberationists

Book excerpt: A human rights worker disappears while crossing the border from HK to China. Though she is presumed kidnapped by the Partystate, no trace of her can be found. With young daughter in tow, her husband takes up the search. Told from the husband's point of view, Liberationists is part love story, part detective novel, part meditation on the value of freedom, democracy and human rights. It depicts the relationship between a parent and young child in a time of crisis as well as the dire situation of those fighting for a better society in today's dystopian China where the world's most powerful dictatorship is intent on maintaining its monopoly on power. The early days of what would become the HK Umbrella Movement play a crucial role in the story's climax. Why push for political and social change at great personal risk, especially when efforts often appear futile? Liberationists examines the motives, logic and actions of people willing to endure hardship and persecution to realize their ideals.