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The Inn Of The Sixth Happiness
1979 LONDON RECORDS boxed set of 2 AUDIO CASSETTES
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1957
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
May 1, 2012
I read this book when I was about ten years old. My grandmother was a missionary in India andshe used to give me 'improving' books to read - this being one of them. Luckily my grandmother had extremely good taste in literature and every 'improving' book she gave me was also immensely readable as this one is. I was especially keen on Gladys Aylward as she was as the title says a small woman. As am I - her story is an inspiration to anyone who may feel that they are too small or insignificant to make a difference in the world. Maybe we can't all make such heroic differences but we can all make a positive contribution in some way. This book taught me that lesson.
August 3, 2011
My childhood hero was this obscure missionary who gave her whole life for the people of a rural Chinese province. She was too poor and under-educated to qualify for the mission society, so she purchased a train ticket and road across Europe, Russia, Manchuria (during a border war), and into north-western China. She stopped when her money ran out and opened an inn in the small town where she got off the train. She stopped battles in prison, inspected little girls feet to prevent foot-binding and mostly shared the gospel with any who would listen.
June 21, 2016
What an extraordinary woman Gladys Aylward was. In 1930 she left England for China entirely on her own volition. She had quit school at age 14, having never passed a single examination (per her own recollection), and had worked as a parlourmaid. But she felt called by God to become a missionary in China, and even though no established organization would consider her application she was determined to fulfill God’s wish. She heard of a lone woman, Mrs Lawson, working in a remote area of China who hoped to be able to pass along her work to a younger woman. So Gladys saved the fare for a third-class passage on the Trans-Siberia Express, and set out for China trusting that God would show her the way.
This biography was first published in 1957, and the edition I read had an epilogue, added in 1969. The book had by then been made into the popular movie Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman. Gladys, herself, never saw the film and didn’t understand why anyone would be interested in her life. I’m just glad she agreed to tell her story.
This biography was first published in 1957, and the edition I read had an epilogue, added in 1969. The book had by then been made into the popular movie Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman. Gladys, herself, never saw the film and didn’t understand why anyone would be interested in her life. I’m just glad she agreed to tell her story.
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June 11, 2022Muito, muito bom.
September 17, 2013
I have an old copy of this book called The Small woman. It has been the most inspiring book I have ever read. Whenever I feel hard done by I re-read this book and I am rewarded with new courage. This is the story of a tiny framed , humble house maid who was inspired to save her meagre pennies to pay for a ticket from London to China because she was rejected by a Missionary school who said she was too stupid to learn the bible. Her epic journey walking across the Siberian wastelands in the middle of a Russian war to reach China is miraculous. All she had were a few pounds sewn into the hem of her dress and a primus with a pot. Her 30 years in the most remote part of China amongst people who initially spat at her for being a white 'Ghost' is compelling reading. There were very humourous events as well as some very tragic events. Her unfulfilled love for a Chinese General, her rape by Japanese soldiers, her adoption of throw away children and her tortuous walk with these children over a mountain to escape brutal Japanese forces is simply awesome. The movie does not even come close to telling her fantastical true story and courage. I heartily recommend everyone to read about this real heroine and her true story. Gladys Aylwood is her name and she is my heroine of life. I do not understand why so few people know of this tiny lady. Please read her story , you will be magnified and changed forever
February 19, 2009
I'm so glad I had an excuse to read this book for a Winter Challenge here on GoodReads. I had watched the movie "Inn of the Sixth Happiness win Ingrid Bergman years and years ago and it was wonderful to be reunited with this truly remarkable woman.
She is truly an inspiration - showing how persistence and not letting anything get in your way will get you your hearts desire.
The story is a real-life telling of the life of Gladys Alyward. She works as a maid in London but is drawn to missionary work in China. She is dismissed as "unqualified" but through shear determination and indomitable courage she worked and saved to go there on her own and in 1930 she travels half way around the world to arrive at her hearts destination.
Initially an "outsider" she gains acceptance by the people and the Mandrian where she settles and when war comes she leads an incredible march of over 100 orphans over mountains to safety.
Everything about this story is remarkable: the book I just read, The movie I saw so many years ago and of course the incredible woman who inspired it all.
She is truly an inspiration - showing how persistence and not letting anything get in your way will get you your hearts desire.
The story is a real-life telling of the life of Gladys Alyward. She works as a maid in London but is drawn to missionary work in China. She is dismissed as "unqualified" but through shear determination and indomitable courage she worked and saved to go there on her own and in 1930 she travels half way around the world to arrive at her hearts destination.
Initially an "outsider" she gains acceptance by the people and the Mandrian where she settles and when war comes she leads an incredible march of over 100 orphans over mountains to safety.
Everything about this story is remarkable: the book I just read, The movie I saw so many years ago and of course the incredible woman who inspired it all.
August 24, 2020
Also originally called The Small Woman, this is an historical novel based on a true story.
An Englishwoman, Gladys Aylward, travels as a Christian missionary to a remote part of China, survives by her wits through the brutal Japanese invasion of the 1930s, informs Chinese nationalists of enemy movements and eventually rescues a hundred children by making a long perilous journey.
It is an interesting story, but the writing was not very engaging. A friend of mine liked the movie that was made from this story. I understand the film took many liberties. For example, it was not the Inn of the Sixth Happiness that she founded. It was the Inn of the Eight Happinesses. The book I read was incorrectly named after the movie. Still, maybe I would enjoy the film more for having read the book.
There are some materials about Gladys Aylward available on the net, including some pictures of Gladys and of Yangcheng, the village where she lived.
An Englishwoman, Gladys Aylward, travels as a Christian missionary to a remote part of China, survives by her wits through the brutal Japanese invasion of the 1930s, informs Chinese nationalists of enemy movements and eventually rescues a hundred children by making a long perilous journey.
It is an interesting story, but the writing was not very engaging. A friend of mine liked the movie that was made from this story. I understand the film took many liberties. For example, it was not the Inn of the Sixth Happiness that she founded. It was the Inn of the Eight Happinesses. The book I read was incorrectly named after the movie. Still, maybe I would enjoy the film more for having read the book.
There are some materials about Gladys Aylward available on the net, including some pictures of Gladys and of Yangcheng, the village where she lived.
March 6, 2025
4.5*
Vídeo de Opinião em: https://youtu.be/TnR9AYVoeTw
Muito bom! Já vi o filmes muitas vezes, este livro surpreendeu-me.
Vídeo de Opinião em: https://youtu.be/TnR9AYVoeTw
Muito bom! Já vi o filmes muitas vezes, este livro surpreendeu-me.
December 11, 2018
If you've ever seen the the movie "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" with Ingrid Bergman, then you know the basic - very basic story - of Gladys Aylward. A English parlormaid that couldn't pass the scholastic demands in order to be sponsored to a mission to China. So she scrimped and saved and in 1930, with railway tickets, her Bible, a paltry amount of money, and among other items, some canned food for the journey, she set off across Siberia towards China, knowing that Russia and China were moving towards war.
It was only luck and the kindness of others - maybe the influence of God too - that she achieved her destination - the walled town of Yangcheng in the mountainous province of Shansi and the elderly English missionary, Mrs. Jeannie Lawson. It was there that Aylward made a life for herself as an innkeeper - the inn was actually called The Inn of Eight Happiness, based on the 8 Chinese virtues. Lawson died due to injuries after a fall in the mountains and Aylward continued their work of telling stories from the Bible to the mule drivers who worked the mountain trails.
It was also during this time that she managed to come to the attention of the Mandarin of the region and get a job that no one else desired - foot inspector which was to make sure that the doctrine of no new foot-binding was carried out. It was then that she continued to spread the stories of Jesus and the Bible in those most isolated towns and villages.
Upon reading the story reported by Burgess, it definitely doesn't give a realistic idea of the dangers or privations that she endured - not only as a woman in a male dominated society, but a foreigner in a country highly suspicious of outsiders. That the Japanese were invading from the north, the Communist and Nationalist armies were sometimes at odds, that the area was shocking poor but generous in hospitality once they accepted a person were all aspects that Burgess touched on but you, the reader, can't really empathize with. The idea of going days without even a mouthful of millet while travelling miles of rocky terrain with nearly 100 children seems completely unrealistic - yet she somehow managed to do it. Gladys would profoundly believe that God provided the boats that got them across the Yellow River when all traffic was supposedly closed. Provided the coal train that transported them nearly 30 miles closer to their destination.
The book ends with Aylward working in England after being sent there for surgery on the injuries received from an encounter with the Japanese army. In looking up her history, she tried to return to Mainland China but was refused and she in turn, resided in Taipei until her death in 1970.
It's an interesting tale of a determined, stubborn woman whose unquestioning faith enabled her to make an impact on the lives of hundreds in a place that most of the world never heard of.
It was only luck and the kindness of others - maybe the influence of God too - that she achieved her destination - the walled town of Yangcheng in the mountainous province of Shansi and the elderly English missionary, Mrs. Jeannie Lawson. It was there that Aylward made a life for herself as an innkeeper - the inn was actually called The Inn of Eight Happiness, based on the 8 Chinese virtues. Lawson died due to injuries after a fall in the mountains and Aylward continued their work of telling stories from the Bible to the mule drivers who worked the mountain trails.
It was also during this time that she managed to come to the attention of the Mandarin of the region and get a job that no one else desired - foot inspector which was to make sure that the doctrine of no new foot-binding was carried out. It was then that she continued to spread the stories of Jesus and the Bible in those most isolated towns and villages.
Upon reading the story reported by Burgess, it definitely doesn't give a realistic idea of the dangers or privations that she endured - not only as a woman in a male dominated society, but a foreigner in a country highly suspicious of outsiders. That the Japanese were invading from the north, the Communist and Nationalist armies were sometimes at odds, that the area was shocking poor but generous in hospitality once they accepted a person were all aspects that Burgess touched on but you, the reader, can't really empathize with. The idea of going days without even a mouthful of millet while travelling miles of rocky terrain with nearly 100 children seems completely unrealistic - yet she somehow managed to do it. Gladys would profoundly believe that God provided the boats that got them across the Yellow River when all traffic was supposedly closed. Provided the coal train that transported them nearly 30 miles closer to their destination.
The book ends with Aylward working in England after being sent there for surgery on the injuries received from an encounter with the Japanese army. In looking up her history, she tried to return to Mainland China but was refused and she in turn, resided in Taipei until her death in 1970.
It's an interesting tale of a determined, stubborn woman whose unquestioning faith enabled her to make an impact on the lives of hundreds in a place that most of the world never heard of.
April 10, 2012
I'm so glad I didn't give up on this book! It's an amazing true story of Gladys Aylward who gave up her life to travel to China to be a missionary. And she did it alone, traveling dangerously by train through Siberia, without knowing the language and with very little money.
Although the book was a little slow about halfway through (which was why I put it down for a few months & finally picked it back up again), there were several moments throughout the book that made it worth reading.
I'm amazed at Gladys Aylward's courage. In war-torn China, she took charge in situations that I would have run from. She saved many lives and there were many miracles along the way.
She strikes me as someone who would probably tell you that what she did wasn't extraordinary at all. I think there was a reason she was drawn to China. She was meant to be there, at that time, to help the people. She showed true strength and character.
Although the book was a little slow about halfway through (which was why I put it down for a few months & finally picked it back up again), there were several moments throughout the book that made it worth reading.
I'm amazed at Gladys Aylward's courage. In war-torn China, she took charge in situations that I would have run from. She saved many lives and there were many miracles along the way.
She strikes me as someone who would probably tell you that what she did wasn't extraordinary at all. I think there was a reason she was drawn to China. She was meant to be there, at that time, to help the people. She showed true strength and character.
February 2, 2021
Epic!
Couldn’t put it down! A fascinating story of one very brave woman with a great faith. A must read and reread!
Couldn’t put it down! A fascinating story of one very brave woman with a great faith. A must read and reread!
January 2, 2022
What a remarkable woman with such tenacity! I could not lay this book down for long, it kept my attention page after page with the tales of Gladys!
March 6, 2009
This is considered a true story but it is not a biography or even a memoir. It is the story of a young British woman Grace Aylward who travels across Siberia to work as a missionary in northern China in the 1930s and 1940's. The author Alan Burgess was a seminary student and journalist and the only source material seems to have been his interview with Aylward. It is an amazing story and I am sure much of it is true. I was suspicious of the portrait of the Nationalist Forces during the war - in everything else I have read the Chinese army was hardly so admirable. I was also suspicious of the many times there was last minute religious salvation. Still worth reading.
Of interest is the name of the book. Originally it was called The Small Woman. A movie was made from the book with Ingrid Bergman (and from the cover pix I suspect a great deal was made of the almost non-existent love story in the book) and the movie and US edition of the book was called The Inn of The Sixth Happiness. In the book, Aylward runs an Inn for time - it is called The Inn of Eighth Happinesses.
Of interest is the name of the book. Originally it was called The Small Woman. A movie was made from the book with Ingrid Bergman (and from the cover pix I suspect a great deal was made of the almost non-existent love story in the book) and the movie and US edition of the book was called The Inn of The Sixth Happiness. In the book, Aylward runs an Inn for time - it is called The Inn of Eighth Happinesses.
October 24, 2016
After watching The Inn of the Sixth Happiness I wanted to read the book upon which it was based. As is so often the case, it was much better than the movie it begat.
Gladys Aylward was a Cockney parlormaid when she felt God calling her to go to China. Undaunted when turned down as "unqualified" by the missionary society, she saved up the money on her meagre salary for the long train trip across Russia and Manchuria, which was very dangerous in its own right.
Once in China, she finds her way to an obscure northern city and begins a remarkable "career" which, honestly, no one could ever have been considered qualified for. Through sheer determination, serving the poor, and following her sense of right, she becomes highly influential in the local community. When war with the Japanese threatens the area, she refuses to leave until it becomes clear that someone has to get 100 homeless orphans to a place of safety. And she is that someone.
A remarkable true story which is inspirational, uplifting, and deserves to be known better.
Gladys Aylward was a Cockney parlormaid when she felt God calling her to go to China. Undaunted when turned down as "unqualified" by the missionary society, she saved up the money on her meagre salary for the long train trip across Russia and Manchuria, which was very dangerous in its own right.
Once in China, she finds her way to an obscure northern city and begins a remarkable "career" which, honestly, no one could ever have been considered qualified for. Through sheer determination, serving the poor, and following her sense of right, she becomes highly influential in the local community. When war with the Japanese threatens the area, she refuses to leave until it becomes clear that someone has to get 100 homeless orphans to a place of safety. And she is that someone.
A remarkable true story which is inspirational, uplifting, and deserves to be known better.
February 1, 2015
I read an older version of this book, titled "The Small Woman," since republished under a new name, and found it a compelling and utterly fascinating biography of Gladys Aylward. Aylward was a 26 year old parlormaid in England when she felt called to become a missionary to China. Told by a mission board that she didn’t know enough theology and was too old to learn Chinese properly, she saved up her own money, took a train overland to China through Russia, escaped a bad situation in Russia by boat to Japan, and finally wound up in a remote area, helping an elderly widow missionary in a town that hated foreigners. In spite of her total lack of official preparation, Aylward not only learned Chinese, but became a Chinese citizen and had an astounding and profound impact on the area of China where she served.
{Read my full review here}
{Read my full review here}
April 11, 2015
What an amazing person Gladys Aylward was - how come she's not better known, or is it just me?
I must have bought this because I know the Ingrid Bergman movie "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness", but I'd forgotten all about it. It re-emerged with packing for moving house and I finally read it. I don't think I was aware then the story was based on fact. It is well and sympathetically written, but it is told in the style of a novel, which occasionally made me wonder about the author's sources of information. It must have been quite confusing in its first edition but luckily, my copy is a third edition and comes with two postscripts that update the story and give some insight into the creation of the book. It also has a collection of photos and two maps, which I much appreciated.
I must have bought this because I know the Ingrid Bergman movie "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness", but I'd forgotten all about it. It re-emerged with packing for moving house and I finally read it. I don't think I was aware then the story was based on fact. It is well and sympathetically written, but it is told in the style of a novel, which occasionally made me wonder about the author's sources of information. It must have been quite confusing in its first edition but luckily, my copy is a third edition and comes with two postscripts that update the story and give some insight into the creation of the book. It also has a collection of photos and two maps, which I much appreciated.
July 30, 2012
If you wanted something like Into the Wild, someone bravely trekking into unknown territory and trying to mean something to the people they meet, this is a bunch of B.S. It reads mainly like a hobbit woman lugged a suitcase full of Christian bigotry into inner China. If Chris was ever idealistic, brave, adventurous (if stupid), Gladys is simply clueless, arrogant,and annoyingly quaint. I mean, I do have respect for her, but I think a different author would have done her better justice instead of making her sound like a woman who thinks she can solve a war by scolding both sides and then settling them down for tea and scones.
August 30, 2009
Great biography of an amazing woman.
You'll have to read someone else's review for a better synopsis, but I really liked this book. It was an amazing story. Humans astound me. I just don't have time to do it justice, sorry.
I didn't think the author really caught her faith as it must truly have been, but he did get it in parts.
Funny thing--her inn was really called "The Inn of the Eight Happinesses." I guess when they made it into a movie they liked their title better. Why? Stupids.
You'll have to read someone else's review for a better synopsis, but I really liked this book. It was an amazing story. Humans astound me. I just don't have time to do it justice, sorry.
I didn't think the author really caught her faith as it must truly have been, but he did get it in parts.
Funny thing--her inn was really called "The Inn of the Eight Happinesses." I guess when they made it into a movie they liked their title better. Why? Stupids.
April 16, 2022
Burgess’ storytelling will transport you to the rural mountains of northern China and immerse you in the life of the indomitable Gladys Aylward. Aylward is at once both ordinary and extraordinary, possessing natural human traits while acting with immovable faith in the God who had called her to China. From the moment she left her service as a parlor maid in England, her story is one of unpredictable adventure and impossible outcomes. She is a living example that “with God all things are possible.” What an inspiration to me!
July 24, 2014
I will just say this is my favorite book! My dad gave it to me when I was 9 and it was the first time I ever remember being inspired to live all my life for God, knowing His love in a radical way, and living a life of adventure with God no matter where He would call. I even wrote my graduation speech on Gladys Aylward's life :) god used this humble, willing, fearless woman in mighty ways! I can't wait to talk with her in heaven one day
December 4, 2008
This is the true story of a lady missionary who goes to China and teaches herself Chinese. She's got a lot of grit, especially when China enters a war with Japan and she has to take care of the orphans in her care and transport them away from the war zone. The movie "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" came from this book--and the book was great.
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January 30, 2013Amazing life of Gladys Aylward, a missionary in China. She braved unspeakable hardships. Her commitment to teach the Chinese people about Christ was remarkable and shamed me.
December 31, 2022
My daughter recently participated in a 4th grade living wax museum. The students chose a famous person to learn about and then presented information about what made this person special in history. If I were asked to do this right now, I would choose to represent Gladys Aylward and this would be my rough draft 20 second speech. *SPOILER ALERT*
A small woman arrived in China in 1930, a Christian missionary from Great Britain. She had almost no money or possessions -- she had a deep faith in God. She did not speak Chinese -- she had a willing heart and mind to learn the ways and customs of the Shansi mountain people. Gladys learned all she could from her mentor Jeannie Lawson. Together they established the Inn of Eight Happinesses and began to tell the stories of Jesus to any muleteers who lodged there. Just as they were having success and Gladys was getting her bearings, Jeannie was gone. The small woman, they began calling her Ai-weh-deh, "the virtuous one," was on her own. Somehow her assertiveness, her audacity to speak out as a woman, didn't get her killed. She became the foot inspector, with authority to eliminate the practice of foot-binding in the area. She built relationships with leaders who could help her make a difference. She taught truth and saved lives. With global conflict reaching the boiling point of WWII, Japanese occupation threatened the survival of all remaining Chinese in the Shansi region. This woman's life was in grave danger, but so were the lives of the orphans she had taken in as her own. Gladys Aylward took it upon herself to transport over 100 children across the mountains, a perilous journey, to safety in Sian.
In so many words, that is the story of Gladys Aylward, but this book is so much more and I highly recommend it! I loved learning about this time in history, this book captures in it's pages the glimpse into a culture and a people -- largely unchanged for thousands of year -- that was on the brink of shocking devastation and destruction. This mountain people, these villages, not perfect, not idyllic, but beautiful in their own way, would never be the same. Refugees leaving, with no hope of return. In that way the story is so heartbreaking, and eye-opening with the state of the world now, but somehow it is filled with so much inspiring hope as well.
A simple and inexperienced person -- with enough faith and determination, with a willingness to be themselves, to find what they have to offer and offer it freely -- can make all the difference in the world.
Some favorite passages...
So the years passed. Sometimes Gladys did not see the Davieses for months at a time, for it was a long journey from Yangcheng, and her work took her out mainly to the lonelier regions. That she left a mark in those places there is little doubt; even today, if one walked through some of those isolated villages, the songs the men and women would be singing as they worked in the fields would be Christian hymns. She made many converts amongst them and Christianity altered the lives of those who embraced it completely. (108)
His lip curled contemptuously as he looked at her. "You are a fool, woman, to bother with all these children. The gods intended a woman to care for a handful of children, not an army. Gladys had heard such philosophy in China before. It brushed over her head. "How far is it to the river?" (191 -- during the journey to Sian)
A small woman arrived in China in 1930, a Christian missionary from Great Britain. She had almost no money or possessions -- she had a deep faith in God. She did not speak Chinese -- she had a willing heart and mind to learn the ways and customs of the Shansi mountain people. Gladys learned all she could from her mentor Jeannie Lawson. Together they established the Inn of Eight Happinesses and began to tell the stories of Jesus to any muleteers who lodged there. Just as they were having success and Gladys was getting her bearings, Jeannie was gone. The small woman, they began calling her Ai-weh-deh, "the virtuous one," was on her own. Somehow her assertiveness, her audacity to speak out as a woman, didn't get her killed. She became the foot inspector, with authority to eliminate the practice of foot-binding in the area. She built relationships with leaders who could help her make a difference. She taught truth and saved lives. With global conflict reaching the boiling point of WWII, Japanese occupation threatened the survival of all remaining Chinese in the Shansi region. This woman's life was in grave danger, but so were the lives of the orphans she had taken in as her own. Gladys Aylward took it upon herself to transport over 100 children across the mountains, a perilous journey, to safety in Sian.
In so many words, that is the story of Gladys Aylward, but this book is so much more and I highly recommend it! I loved learning about this time in history, this book captures in it's pages the glimpse into a culture and a people -- largely unchanged for thousands of year -- that was on the brink of shocking devastation and destruction. This mountain people, these villages, not perfect, not idyllic, but beautiful in their own way, would never be the same. Refugees leaving, with no hope of return. In that way the story is so heartbreaking, and eye-opening with the state of the world now, but somehow it is filled with so much inspiring hope as well.
A simple and inexperienced person -- with enough faith and determination, with a willingness to be themselves, to find what they have to offer and offer it freely -- can make all the difference in the world.
Some favorite passages...
So the years passed. Sometimes Gladys did not see the Davieses for months at a time, for it was a long journey from Yangcheng, and her work took her out mainly to the lonelier regions. That she left a mark in those places there is little doubt; even today, if one walked through some of those isolated villages, the songs the men and women would be singing as they worked in the fields would be Christian hymns. She made many converts amongst them and Christianity altered the lives of those who embraced it completely. (108)
His lip curled contemptuously as he looked at her. "You are a fool, woman, to bother with all these children. The gods intended a woman to care for a handful of children, not an army. Gladys had heard such philosophy in China before. It brushed over her head. "How far is it to the river?" (191 -- during the journey to Sian)
July 25, 2018
Gladys Aylward was an extraordinary English woman. From a background in service (Britain's term for live-in servants), she was committed to her call to be a missionary in China. After failing to complete the required preparation of the China Inland Mission, she worked to earn money for train passage to China through Russia at the age of 30 in 1932. With only a referral to an older missionary Jeannie Lawson in Yangcheng, she managed to eventually reach China, having escaped Russian detainment, with the help of a Japanese ship.
The two women opened an inn for male travelers by mule in order to provide hospitality and opportunity to tell stories of Jesus. She was chosen to be a government foot inspector, traveling into mountainous rural areas to oversee the abolition of cultural foot binding. Every opportunity that came her way she took, to travel, learn the language, teach and preach, assist the local government Mandarin in quelling a violent prison riot and eventually provide intelligence about the Japanese martial invasion. Becoming a Chinese citizen in 1936, she truly became one with the her adopted people. They gave her a Chinese name that approximates "the Virtuous One." Long before the official outbreak of World War II she was living in a war zone of Japanese invasion. Living in caves in the mountains, she and others periodically left Yangsheng when it was bombed. She used her natural medicinal remedies to help the injured. Adopting 5 children, she also saved nearly 100 orphans when she single handedly trekked miles across mountains to take them to safety from the Japanese army. Due to severe physical damage as a result of that odyssey, she returned to England for medical help. The book ends here.
In 1958 after being refused entry to China by the Communists, she settled in Taiwan, opened an orphanage and worked there until she died in 1970. She is buried there.
The movie "The Inn of the Eight Happinesses" was based on this book. Unfortunately it is a romanticized portrayal; it doesn't begin to touch on the multiple ways she served the Chinese and the dangers of war, persecution, and starvation that she survived. Aylward is truly a Christian hero and a wonderful example of a missionary who lived immersed in the country of her choosing.
The two women opened an inn for male travelers by mule in order to provide hospitality and opportunity to tell stories of Jesus. She was chosen to be a government foot inspector, traveling into mountainous rural areas to oversee the abolition of cultural foot binding. Every opportunity that came her way she took, to travel, learn the language, teach and preach, assist the local government Mandarin in quelling a violent prison riot and eventually provide intelligence about the Japanese martial invasion. Becoming a Chinese citizen in 1936, she truly became one with the her adopted people. They gave her a Chinese name that approximates "the Virtuous One." Long before the official outbreak of World War II she was living in a war zone of Japanese invasion. Living in caves in the mountains, she and others periodically left Yangsheng when it was bombed. She used her natural medicinal remedies to help the injured. Adopting 5 children, she also saved nearly 100 orphans when she single handedly trekked miles across mountains to take them to safety from the Japanese army. Due to severe physical damage as a result of that odyssey, she returned to England for medical help. The book ends here.
In 1958 after being refused entry to China by the Communists, she settled in Taiwan, opened an orphanage and worked there until she died in 1970. She is buried there.
The movie "The Inn of the Eight Happinesses" was based on this book. Unfortunately it is a romanticized portrayal; it doesn't begin to touch on the multiple ways she served the Chinese and the dangers of war, persecution, and starvation that she survived. Aylward is truly a Christian hero and a wonderful example of a missionary who lived immersed in the country of her choosing.
November 9, 2019
Excellent!
p. 59: "Unbind her feet!" all four women began to undo the bandages. " If God intended little girls to have horrible stubby little feet, he'd have made them like that in the first place ... feet are to walk with, not to shuffle up and down with... Any man who tells you to do it goes to prison at once; that's a new law now" the spell was broken. The women came closer, chattering happily...
p. 122: David Davis stared aghast. There were at least thirty armed Japanese, intent on rape, with struggling, screaming, half-dressed women. Unarmed against thrity soldiers, David knew he stood little chance of preventing this outrage. "Pray" he bellowed to the women at the top of his voice. "Pray, all of you!" The Japanese officer swung on him savagely and drew his revolver.
From point-blank range he leveled it at David and pulled the trigger. David heard a click as the hammer fell, more clicks as the officer jerked the trigger viciously .... no explosion came. Cursing the officer hit David full force across the mouth with the butt of the gun... blood dripping down his shirt... "Pray! Pray, all of you." And now the women and girls were down on their knees ... The Japanese soldiers stared stupidly, not knowing what to do. The officer yelled at them... and then the soldiers turned away and shambled out of the courtyard. The officer stalked after them...
Gladys Aylward leaves England determined to reach China in spite of a war raging and makes her way to a remote Chinese village where she sets up an inn. ... She finds herself in charge of over 100 Chinese orphans with the Japanese army coming...
P. 186 At that moment she had no heart to go on ... she was convinced that they were all finished; that they would all die in the mountains. She was convinced that she had brought them all to this plight that she had betrayed them, and she wept because of her guilt... The children sobbed with her... The tears had washed away the bleak desperation, washed away even a little of the aching tiredness that weakened her will and her determination. She smiled wanly... "A good cry is always good for you!" she said stoutly. "Now, that's enough, all of you. We'll sing a hymn, ... and no more crying..."
p. 59: "Unbind her feet!" all four women began to undo the bandages. " If God intended little girls to have horrible stubby little feet, he'd have made them like that in the first place ... feet are to walk with, not to shuffle up and down with... Any man who tells you to do it goes to prison at once; that's a new law now" the spell was broken. The women came closer, chattering happily...
p. 122: David Davis stared aghast. There were at least thirty armed Japanese, intent on rape, with struggling, screaming, half-dressed women. Unarmed against thrity soldiers, David knew he stood little chance of preventing this outrage. "Pray" he bellowed to the women at the top of his voice. "Pray, all of you!" The Japanese officer swung on him savagely and drew his revolver.
From point-blank range he leveled it at David and pulled the trigger. David heard a click as the hammer fell, more clicks as the officer jerked the trigger viciously .... no explosion came. Cursing the officer hit David full force across the mouth with the butt of the gun... blood dripping down his shirt... "Pray! Pray, all of you." And now the women and girls were down on their knees ... The Japanese soldiers stared stupidly, not knowing what to do. The officer yelled at them... and then the soldiers turned away and shambled out of the courtyard. The officer stalked after them...
Gladys Aylward leaves England determined to reach China in spite of a war raging and makes her way to a remote Chinese village where she sets up an inn. ... She finds herself in charge of over 100 Chinese orphans with the Japanese army coming...
P. 186 At that moment she had no heart to go on ... she was convinced that they were all finished; that they would all die in the mountains. She was convinced that she had brought them all to this plight that she had betrayed them, and she wept because of her guilt... The children sobbed with her... The tears had washed away the bleak desperation, washed away even a little of the aching tiredness that weakened her will and her determination. She smiled wanly... "A good cry is always good for you!" she said stoutly. "Now, that's enough, all of you. We'll sing a hymn, ... and no more crying..."
August 10, 2025
I don't often get to read a book published in 1957, gifted to Judith Beeston at Christmas 1963, but this was worth the wait.
"The Small Woman" is a hardly believable story about Gladys Aylward, an English woman (5' tall) who lived 17 years in China, which was simultaneously at war with itself (Nationalists v. Communists) and with Japan. She establishes a Christian ministry of compassion, operating an Inn for travellers, "The Inn of Eight Happinesses." War closes in, and after many difficulties are overcome, Gladys takes 100 children on an epic walk to safety. Author Alan Burgess transforms her amazing story into a classic work of literature. It's just beautifully written, abounding with perfect metaphors, unrivalled pacing and passion without shallowness. It's a fine example of that unique period of literary writing in mid-20th-century England. Orwell springs to mind.
Burgess writes so that the emotions, painful and joyful, are communicated with clarity and sensitivity. In less skilled hands, the story could be maudlin or worse. There is love, pain, attraction, loss, joy, success, failure (temporary) and more. Burgess writes it, we feel it.
For exemplary mishandling of this subject matter, the 1958 film "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" starred a quite tall Ingrid Bergman as the "small woman". I cannot recommend it as a shortcut to the story. Key Chinese characters and events are westernised, something the author Burgess handles with more care.
"The Inn of Eight Happinesses" implies cultural allusions in the book. In Chinese culture, still, the eight happinesses are known to all: Longevity 寿, Wealth 禄, Health 康, Peace 泰, Virtue 德, Harmony 和, Fertility/Descendants 子, Happiness/Fulfilment 福. Furthermore, the number 8 is considered lucky, implying health and wealth. Number 6? Not so much. I don't understand why they changed the inn's name for the film.
However, the book is near perfect. Another reason for being glad I married Judith Beeston.
"The Small Woman" is a hardly believable story about Gladys Aylward, an English woman (5' tall) who lived 17 years in China, which was simultaneously at war with itself (Nationalists v. Communists) and with Japan. She establishes a Christian ministry of compassion, operating an Inn for travellers, "The Inn of Eight Happinesses." War closes in, and after many difficulties are overcome, Gladys takes 100 children on an epic walk to safety. Author Alan Burgess transforms her amazing story into a classic work of literature. It's just beautifully written, abounding with perfect metaphors, unrivalled pacing and passion without shallowness. It's a fine example of that unique period of literary writing in mid-20th-century England. Orwell springs to mind.
Burgess writes so that the emotions, painful and joyful, are communicated with clarity and sensitivity. In less skilled hands, the story could be maudlin or worse. There is love, pain, attraction, loss, joy, success, failure (temporary) and more. Burgess writes it, we feel it.
For exemplary mishandling of this subject matter, the 1958 film "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" starred a quite tall Ingrid Bergman as the "small woman". I cannot recommend it as a shortcut to the story. Key Chinese characters and events are westernised, something the author Burgess handles with more care.
"The Inn of Eight Happinesses" implies cultural allusions in the book. In Chinese culture, still, the eight happinesses are known to all: Longevity 寿, Wealth 禄, Health 康, Peace 泰, Virtue 德, Harmony 和, Fertility/Descendants 子, Happiness/Fulfilment 福. Furthermore, the number 8 is considered lucky, implying health and wealth. Number 6? Not so much. I don't understand why they changed the inn's name for the film.
However, the book is near perfect. Another reason for being glad I married Judith Beeston.
June 22, 2020
This is the story of Gladys Alyward, missionary to China.
After being rejected by a London missionary society, Gladys decided to get to China under her own steam, because she believed it is where God wanted her to be. Working several domestic jobs (sometimes simultaneously) she eventually saved enough money for her long passage into the heart of Northern China. After she got there Japan invaded during World War 2 and Gladys led a couple of hundred orphans on foot through treacherous, Japanese occupied terrain to get them to safety.
A well written, thrilling, easy to read story by Alan Burgess that was the foundation for the classic film, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. The book goes into much more detail and doesn't omit the Christian elements. (Oh. And doesn't have a romance with Kurt Jurgens.) I enjoyed it even more than the film and I enjoyed the film a-plenty.
This one is truly an adventure story depicting the life of this amazing lady. Well worth your time and fits perfectly into my belief that "ordinary people can do amazing things in the hands of an EXTRA-ordinary God." (Do I need quotation marks when I quote myself?)
Thank you for reading my review and considering this book.
Sincerely, Laura-Lee
After being rejected by a London missionary society, Gladys decided to get to China under her own steam, because she believed it is where God wanted her to be. Working several domestic jobs (sometimes simultaneously) she eventually saved enough money for her long passage into the heart of Northern China. After she got there Japan invaded during World War 2 and Gladys led a couple of hundred orphans on foot through treacherous, Japanese occupied terrain to get them to safety.
A well written, thrilling, easy to read story by Alan Burgess that was the foundation for the classic film, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. The book goes into much more detail and doesn't omit the Christian elements. (Oh. And doesn't have a romance with Kurt Jurgens.) I enjoyed it even more than the film and I enjoyed the film a-plenty.
This one is truly an adventure story depicting the life of this amazing lady. Well worth your time and fits perfectly into my belief that "ordinary people can do amazing things in the hands of an EXTRA-ordinary God." (Do I need quotation marks when I quote myself?)
Thank you for reading my review and considering this book.
Sincerely, Laura-Lee
July 22, 2017
Watched the 1958 film, Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman, as Gladys Aylward, and Curt Jurgens, as Capt. Lin Nan. I wondered if there was a book that the film was adapted from, and lo and behold, there was! It is this book, The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, published in 1957.
The film portrayed Aylward as an utterly fearless, faith-filled and dutiful Englishwoman . After reading the book, I have to say it goes a lot more in depth on Gladys's story (as books tend to do). I was particularly impressed by the character's dauntless courage through everything. But the book humanizes her a lot more. She wasn't totally fearless. She had struggles, internal as well as external. Her faith in God helped her through a lot. But she was not without fear.
Overall, an amazing story of perseverance and faith in the face of very difficult challenges. This is definitely on my Favorites shelf!
The film portrayed Aylward as an utterly fearless, faith-filled and dutiful Englishwoman . After reading the book, I have to say it goes a lot more in depth on Gladys's story (as books tend to do). I was particularly impressed by the character's dauntless courage through everything. But the book humanizes her a lot more. She wasn't totally fearless. She had struggles, internal as well as external. Her faith in God helped her through a lot. But she was not without fear.
Overall, an amazing story of perseverance and faith in the face of very difficult challenges. This is definitely on my Favorites shelf!
October 4, 2025
I came across this while checking if a different book was available from my library and it was a very lucky find. It was very readable and I particularly loved the descriptions of the places where Gladys Aylward lived and the people she met. There were also some descriptions of Chinese culture in the 1930's and 1940's.
Gladys Aylward herself was an incredibly brave person, to the point of foolishness in my opinion. She had an unshakeable faith in god (the Christian god) and went to China to be a missionary. While there she started an orphanage by accident and although the book did mention her missionary work, it focused more on her efforts to provide a safe home for orphans and children who'd got separated from their parents or could not be looked after them for some reason. It seemed as though some people "dumped" unwanted children on her although the book didn't go into details about that. I must say it is daunting to realise the difference that one person can make to their local community. I rarely read books a second time, but I am thinking about buying a copy of this. I know I'll remember this and I'll want to read it again.
Gladys Aylward herself was an incredibly brave person, to the point of foolishness in my opinion. She had an unshakeable faith in god (the Christian god) and went to China to be a missionary. While there she started an orphanage by accident and although the book did mention her missionary work, it focused more on her efforts to provide a safe home for orphans and children who'd got separated from their parents or could not be looked after them for some reason. It seemed as though some people "dumped" unwanted children on her although the book didn't go into details about that. I must say it is daunting to realise the difference that one person can make to their local community. I rarely read books a second time, but I am thinking about buying a copy of this. I know I'll remember this and I'll want to read it again.
March 29, 2022
An inspiring book, the tale of a English woman who went alone to China from the UK, that saved a group of children, walking them to safety on a route that took them more than a thousands miles in order to escape the advancing Japanese into China in the late 1930s. This book as adventure before the mass plane traveling era, this book as danger as all the way during their journey their lives are at risk due to the Japanese army and aircrafts that dominated the skies above China. The leading character is one of steel and determination in character, and the author using skillful writing allows the reader to get a real feeling and understanding about the characteristics and personality of the English women that is the hero in the story. What an adventure, I loved the book more than the movie, and the movie is one of my all time favourite movies. Well written, easy to read, the story is easy to follow and understand, the author does not over complicate the story line, no editorial errors, well worth reading, I really enjoyed it.
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