I just read a book called “Oil for China.” It was written in the early 1930’s and shows the poverty, lack of education and absence of mechanization in China during that time. It made me thankful for clean, hot and cold water in my home, my cell phone, heat and cooling in my home, my two cars for dependable transportation, a doctor for every part of my body and on and on. Lord Jesus, thank you!

The book shows the courage that it took for a young American couple to live and work in China. It shows the contrast of the self-sufficient people in America to the ancient culture in China at that time. For instance, a piece of land would have been owned by the same family for centuries, the owners not selling it for profit. Your land was your heritage, your status, your wealth and your most precious commodity. A few families inherited large tracts of land, while others (most) had no land. Your place in society was determined by your ownership of land.

Back then, the government changed so often that they were more interested in building a “big army” rather than owning tracts of land. The government of that day was not the same government six months later. It was always in transition.

China’s oil industry had barely started in the 1930’s. Most people thought of oil as a valuable item for home lamps and a few streetlights. The idea that there was a lot of oil under the ground was considered an ignorant idea – something to be laughed at.

The wife of the main character of the book had to endure a lot of privations. She was alone for months at a time, left to dealing with vendors at the marketplace, knew little of the language and no one to talk to in a civilized way. It was a lonely existence. She never knew where her husband was located, when he would be back or anything about his current health condition. Talk about living by faith!

Trying to communicate was a real problem because you never knew who the number one wife was, who the number one son was and who lived with who. Western rules of marriage, modesty and faithfulness had no place in the Chinese culture at that time. Your birth determined your fate in most cases. Young boys had a better chance for independence than young girls. Many young men had their own “taxi” service which meant they pulled a cart that you could ride in for a fee. Some were craftsmen and would sell their crafts to the public. Young girls might work their families plot of ground or the plot of others who did own land. They could be a second or third wife of some man, or their fate may place them in a brothel. Girls as young as 10 may be found there.

Yes, the couple in the book had a difficult time during their existence there. As the book ends, the main character is faced with the decision to stay and have a sure job or come back to America where the Great Depression was going on. He could stay in China with a sure job or go back to America with little possibility of finding a job of any kind. That’s how the book ended. Wow!

Yes, it was a great read, filled with strange circumstances, funny experiences and unbelievable relationships.

If you like that kind of book, try to find a copy at your local library.

(Narrative and photo provided by Jena native Gale Trussell)