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Adler Family #3
Nightfall Over Shanghai
Espionage, passion, and battlefield drama: the loves and fears of one remarkable family unfold against the Second World War’s Pacific theatre
Gripping and poignant, this is the epic final chapter in Daniel Kalla’s wartime trilogy, bringing to an unforgettable conclusion the story begun in The Far Side of the Sky and Rising Sun, Falling Shadow
It’s 1944 and the Japanese are losing the war, but Shanghai is more dangerous than ever, particularly for the Adler family. After fleeing Nazi Europe, Dr. Franz Adler and his teenage daughter, Hannah, have adjusted to life in their strange adopted city, but they are now imprisoned in the Shanghai Ghetto for refugee Jews.
Franz is compelled to work as a surgeon for the hated Japanese military, while struggling to keep the city’s woefully undersupplied refugee hospital functioning. Meanwhile, his beloved Eurasian wife, fellow surgeon Sunny, delivers a baby boy born to a neighborhood teenager who wants nothing to do with the child; Sunny is determined to raise him as her own. When an enigmatic priest arrives at the hospital with an injured man who turns out be a downed American pilot, Sunny is recruited into a spy ring, providing crucial information to the Allies about the city’s port. Inadvertently, Hannah is drawn into the perilous operation, just as she becomes drawn to the controversial movement of Zionism and a Jewish homeland in Palestine. When the Japanese launch a major new offensive against the Chinese, Franz is forced to do the unthinkable: he is sent inland to work as a field doctor on the frontlines. There, he must contend with his tangled loyalties, aerial bombings overhead, and his uncertain feelings for a vulnerable Canadian nurse.
In 1945, American B-52s begin bombing Shanghai in strategic raids, putting thousands of Chinese citizens and refugees in grave danger. While the war seems to be winding down in the Far East, many questions remain unanswered for the Adlers. As the bombers circle ominously overhead, they must now struggle for more than simple safety. For the first time in many war-riven years, they now face the challenge of re-envisioning their lives, and the prospect of forging a hopeful path forward for the future—if they can first survive.
PRAISE FOR THE FAR SIDE OF THE SKY:
“An amazing novel.” —HUFFINGTON POST
“The novel never falters. . . . Readers are sure to develop a genuine interest in the characters’ fates.” —VANCOUVER SUN
“Thoroughly satisfying.” —NATIONAL POST
Gripping and poignant, this is the epic final chapter in Daniel Kalla’s wartime trilogy, bringing to an unforgettable conclusion the story begun in The Far Side of the Sky and Rising Sun, Falling Shadow
It’s 1944 and the Japanese are losing the war, but Shanghai is more dangerous than ever, particularly for the Adler family. After fleeing Nazi Europe, Dr. Franz Adler and his teenage daughter, Hannah, have adjusted to life in their strange adopted city, but they are now imprisoned in the Shanghai Ghetto for refugee Jews.
Franz is compelled to work as a surgeon for the hated Japanese military, while struggling to keep the city’s woefully undersupplied refugee hospital functioning. Meanwhile, his beloved Eurasian wife, fellow surgeon Sunny, delivers a baby boy born to a neighborhood teenager who wants nothing to do with the child; Sunny is determined to raise him as her own. When an enigmatic priest arrives at the hospital with an injured man who turns out be a downed American pilot, Sunny is recruited into a spy ring, providing crucial information to the Allies about the city’s port. Inadvertently, Hannah is drawn into the perilous operation, just as she becomes drawn to the controversial movement of Zionism and a Jewish homeland in Palestine. When the Japanese launch a major new offensive against the Chinese, Franz is forced to do the unthinkable: he is sent inland to work as a field doctor on the frontlines. There, he must contend with his tangled loyalties, aerial bombings overhead, and his uncertain feelings for a vulnerable Canadian nurse.
In 1945, American B-52s begin bombing Shanghai in strategic raids, putting thousands of Chinese citizens and refugees in grave danger. While the war seems to be winding down in the Far East, many questions remain unanswered for the Adlers. As the bombers circle ominously overhead, they must now struggle for more than simple safety. For the first time in many war-riven years, they now face the challenge of re-envisioning their lives, and the prospect of forging a hopeful path forward for the future—if they can first survive.
PRAISE FOR THE FAR SIDE OF THE SKY:
“An amazing novel.” —HUFFINGTON POST
“The novel never falters. . . . Readers are sure to develop a genuine interest in the characters’ fates.” —VANCOUVER SUN
“Thoroughly satisfying.” —NATIONAL POST
404 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2015
19 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Kalla
19 books568 followersBorn, raised, and still residing in Vancouver, Daniel has worked as an ER Physician for the past twenty years. He is also the author of fifteen published novels, which have been translated into thirteen languages.
In his latest novel, THE DEEPEST FAKE, a tech CEO and AI pioneer’s carefully curated life is unraveling—his wife is cheating, someone is defrauding his company, and he’s just been handed a fatal diagnosis. He’d end it all, if only he could trust his own reality. As deepfakes and deception blur the lines between truth and illusion, the novel explores the challenges and pitfalls of safeguarding reality in an age when it can be fabricated.
Daniel received his B.Sc. and MD from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a clinical associate professor. He is the proud father of two girls and a poorly behaved but lovable mutt, Milo.
In his latest novel, THE DEEPEST FAKE, a tech CEO and AI pioneer’s carefully curated life is unraveling—his wife is cheating, someone is defrauding his company, and he’s just been handed a fatal diagnosis. He’d end it all, if only he could trust his own reality. As deepfakes and deception blur the lines between truth and illusion, the novel explores the challenges and pitfalls of safeguarding reality in an age when it can be fabricated.
Daniel received his B.Sc. and MD from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a clinical associate professor. He is the proud father of two girls and a poorly behaved but lovable mutt, Milo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 4, 2016
Book 3, in the Adler Family Trilogy
“Nightfall Over Shanghai “is the epic final chapter of the remarkable Adler family who fled to Shanghai along with 20,000 Jews and managed to survive there under surreal circumstances during WW11. The third installment opens in April 1944.
Mr. Kalla has written once more an exciting page-turner very hard to put aside. We follow the characters through their ordeals dealing with the Japanese and trying not to fall on their wrong side. Death is at every corner and dodging their wrath is not an easy task. When the end of the war seems near, the Adler’s faces a new challenge: whether to stay or leave Shanghai.
I admit it took some time remembering each recurring character but I fast overcame this challenge. I became so committed to each player and so enthralled in their saga that I kept flipping pages at a rapid pace to see what would happen to them next. The research and work invested in this story in order to be as close as possible to real events must have been extensive. Kudos Mr. Kalla you have captivated me and held my interest for hours. I loved the way you told the story, how you vividly described events and how colourfully you have painted your players: the good and evil ones.
To enjoy this trilogy at its most it is highly recommended to read it in sequence as we follow through the years the Adler family and some of their friends.
“Nightfall Over Shanghai “is the epic final chapter of the remarkable Adler family who fled to Shanghai along with 20,000 Jews and managed to survive there under surreal circumstances during WW11. The third installment opens in April 1944.
Mr. Kalla has written once more an exciting page-turner very hard to put aside. We follow the characters through their ordeals dealing with the Japanese and trying not to fall on their wrong side. Death is at every corner and dodging their wrath is not an easy task. When the end of the war seems near, the Adler’s faces a new challenge: whether to stay or leave Shanghai.
I admit it took some time remembering each recurring character but I fast overcame this challenge. I became so committed to each player and so enthralled in their saga that I kept flipping pages at a rapid pace to see what would happen to them next. The research and work invested in this story in order to be as close as possible to real events must have been extensive. Kudos Mr. Kalla you have captivated me and held my interest for hours. I loved the way you told the story, how you vividly described events and how colourfully you have painted your players: the good and evil ones.
To enjoy this trilogy at its most it is highly recommended to read it in sequence as we follow through the years the Adler family and some of their friends.
May 17, 2019
I am in awe of story telling ability of Dr. Kalla. And all that so very many experienced during this tragic war. Foĺlowing the Adlers in this trilogy managed to touch my heart in ways that will stay with me for some time.
Would be interesting to read about the Adlers as they move to the next chapter of their lives. However I suspect we must be content to step back and hope and pray that they will find contentment and peace of mind moving forward with their lives.
Would be interesting to read about the Adlers as they move to the next chapter of their lives. However I suspect we must be content to step back and hope and pray that they will find contentment and peace of mind moving forward with their lives.
May 29, 2020
This was the final book in the trilogy taking place in Shanghai nearing the end of the war in 1944. The Adler’s flee Europe and the Nazi only to end up in a Shanghai ghetto for refugee Jews. Here Franz works in a makeshift hospital with limited supplies where he had met Sunny. Their lives are not an easy one and the end of the war is making it harder for them as the bombings get worse between the Japanese and Chinese and Japanese and Americans. Daniel captures the pain and sorrow so well but still maintains love and family well being and gratitude in his writing. I enjoyed all 3 books written by Daniel Kalla.
April 9, 2017
Who knew there was a Jewish ghetto in WWII Shanghai? Enjoyable -- almost too pleasant considering the grim Shanghai of WWII -- and realistic to the extent that it shows some of the grim details. Kalla relies heavily on his background as a medical doctor to have the male protagonist be a surgeon.
December 5, 2025
DNF. I read the first two books but got bored a little ways into this one.
February 22, 2017
3.5 stars. I read this not realizing it was the 3rd book of a trilogy. I hate when that happens. I might have liked it much better having read the first two books first.
October 3, 2021
This is part three of Daniel Kalla's story of the Adler family's stay in Shanghai during the Second War. The Adlers came from Austria where Franz was a promising doctor but left as the Nazis took over. He has landed in Shanghai where he is working in the small hospital the community has started for the Jewish refugees who have been confined to a ghetto in the city. Franz has married a part Chinese, part white American girl who is trying to be a mother to Franz' teen aged daughter. It would be easier to follow if one had read the preceding books and I wish I had been able to.
The Adlers had some connection to Vienna but Franz sees that they were never really part of it and there is naturally little connection for him to Shanghai so when the war is over he could go anywhere. For his wife, however, her father's people had always been in Shanghai and she has no desire to go anywhere else, especially anywhere where she might face discrimination. This is a major point in the book; where do the Jews feel at home? The more you think about this the more you feel that Britain ought to be held to its promise of a homeland for the Jews. When you look at what Europe did to them how can they be expected to feel safe anywhere under someone else's rules? Palestine is the "obvious" choice - God gave us that land, it's our home. (I unfortunately feel that the Israelites took the "promised " land from the people who lived there, took it over, set up their own governance and pushed the inhabitants out. Even in their own history it says that.) In any event it is only logical that Jewish refugees, and so many surviving Jews were refugees really don't care a whole lot about what happens to the nations as long as they can be left alone in an area that is theirs. It gives the history a very strange tilt to what we usually read in this part of the world. Very good indeed.
The Adlers had some connection to Vienna but Franz sees that they were never really part of it and there is naturally little connection for him to Shanghai so when the war is over he could go anywhere. For his wife, however, her father's people had always been in Shanghai and she has no desire to go anywhere else, especially anywhere where she might face discrimination. This is a major point in the book; where do the Jews feel at home? The more you think about this the more you feel that Britain ought to be held to its promise of a homeland for the Jews. When you look at what Europe did to them how can they be expected to feel safe anywhere under someone else's rules? Palestine is the "obvious" choice - God gave us that land, it's our home. (I unfortunately feel that the Israelites took the "promised " land from the people who lived there, took it over, set up their own governance and pushed the inhabitants out. Even in their own history it says that.) In any event it is only logical that Jewish refugees, and so many surviving Jews were refugees really don't care a whole lot about what happens to the nations as long as they can be left alone in an area that is theirs. It gives the history a very strange tilt to what we usually read in this part of the world. Very good indeed.
January 20, 2018
3.5
Much like the second instalment in the series, I’m not entirely sure this book was necessary. We saw the end of the war but most of this book was more of the same from books one and two.
The ending was abrupt and unsatisfactory as nothing was decided. I started questioning Franz’s choices as well... not being honest about his dizzy spells, his liaison with that nurse, his sudden insistence that they relocate to Palestine, his newfound commitment to religion... it all seemed such a far cry from where we started from.
It almost seemed that the author wanted to touch as many subjects as possibly but not become overly involved in them: Franz’s mysterious hiatus to the front line being one. It was like the author wanted to write it but it the circumstances of how Franz gets home is suspicious and it’s all quite unrealistic. The author clearly didn’t want to kill off any of the main characters but it did make for a rather far fetched and unbelievable story.
Altogether, I’m glad I read this series but I’m not convinced a trilogy was needed. The first book was fantastic but it just seemed as though the later two books dragged on and didn’t have the same adventure or effect of the first.
Much like the second instalment in the series, I’m not entirely sure this book was necessary. We saw the end of the war but most of this book was more of the same from books one and two.
The ending was abrupt and unsatisfactory as nothing was decided. I started questioning Franz’s choices as well... not being honest about his dizzy spells, his liaison with that nurse, his sudden insistence that they relocate to Palestine, his newfound commitment to religion... it all seemed such a far cry from where we started from.
It almost seemed that the author wanted to touch as many subjects as possibly but not become overly involved in them: Franz’s mysterious hiatus to the front line being one. It was like the author wanted to write it but it the circumstances of how Franz gets home is suspicious and it’s all quite unrealistic. The author clearly didn’t want to kill off any of the main characters but it did make for a rather far fetched and unbelievable story.
Altogether, I’m glad I read this series but I’m not convinced a trilogy was needed. The first book was fantastic but it just seemed as though the later two books dragged on and didn’t have the same adventure or effect of the first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2019
"Nightfall Over Shanghai", was a real page-turner! I didn't realize that this was book number three of the trilogy. However, I had zero problems in reading and following the sequence in this Historic Novel. Author, Daniel Kalla,depicts that life for the Jewish refugees and the Chinese was very dangerous after the Japanese conquered Shanghai during World War Two. The main character Dr. Franz Adler is a doctor. He is in Shanghai with his wife and daughter to escape Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, he and his family are at the mercy of the Japanese Imperial Army.
Daniel Kalla's writing was excellent at showing how dangerous it was to work in a Field Hospital. The author made the battlefield sequences very real!Many innocent people were killed and injured when the Allies dropped bombs. Tragically, this is what happens in any war.
Because I loved the authors's writing style, I plan to read his other two books.
Daniel Kalla's writing was excellent at showing how dangerous it was to work in a Field Hospital. The author made the battlefield sequences very real!Many innocent people were killed and injured when the Allies dropped bombs. Tragically, this is what happens in any war.
Because I loved the authors's writing style, I plan to read his other two books.
November 19, 2025
Dr Kalla wrote such a great series, I liked all three of them, The Far Side of the Sky is the first, and the start of WW2, in Vienna, it’s about Dr Adler’s family, what they endured before leaving for Shanghai. The RisingSun Falling Shadow is book 2, and about Dr Adler’s family and friends in Shanghai. The empathy the people show for each other and the bravery during their oppression is heart breaking. Nightfall over Shanghai, is book 3 and the final. It’s was good to know the outcome of all. I didn’t know so much about Shanghai during the war. There were many refugees from all over the fled to Shanghai. So the Russians refugees had more freedoms because Russia and Japan had an agreement. There was learning of everything in the area that was happening. Anyone, interested in WW2 would enjoy this series
June 18, 2019
Historic fiction - the final in the trilogy of Dr. Adler and his family in occupied Singapore in WWII. Trials and tribulations, cruelty and amazing work in running a hospital in horrendous conditions.
Pharmacy reference - despite being set in a hospital there is only one mention of getting antibiotics from the dispensary; pharmacy set up in the ghetto.
Canadian references - mention of Canada refusing Jewish refugees; character goes to UBC; Canadian nurse.
Pharmacy reference - despite being set in a hospital there is only one mention of getting antibiotics from the dispensary; pharmacy set up in the ghetto.
Canadian references - mention of Canada refusing Jewish refugees; character goes to UBC; Canadian nurse.
March 13, 2023
This is the final book in the trilogy of the Adler family who survive the end of the war in Shanghai with the defeat of the Nazis & the Japanese. They are bound for the US via Singapore, then Simon & Esther plan going to New York & Frantz, Sunny, Hannah & Joey have their sights set on going to Palestine & what they hope to become Eretz Yisroel. Again I found the story telling a bit too dramatic & contrived, though the story itself is interesting enough.
August 6, 2018
This was a great end to the trilogy of much beloved Austrian Jewish, Chinese, and an American trapped in Shanghai during WWII. I couldn't put the book down. There was always another unexpected twist even when historically I thought I knew much about the conflicts. Can hardly wait to tour the Jewish ghetto in Shanghai and experience the Bund plus the port area so prominent in this story.
February 13, 2024
This series started out strong for me, but it's been a long war for the Adler family and this reader. I liked female characters best, got a little frustrated with Franz in this book. And the Happy ever after ending where they move to Israel doesn't seem so happy anymore with all that is going on now.
January 20, 2020
I have never read a book about the jewish refugees during world War II in Shanghai it was a change.Very interesting, a good story touching on one familiy's struggle. Found it hard to put it down at times, think you would njoy it.
July 20, 2025
What a way to round out the series. I feel so truly attached to these characters as if I know them personally. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who’s looking for an entry book into historical fiction vibes.
November 30, 2025
The book was fantastic. The cruelty of the people in occupied Shanghai and the help ans assistance received was well done. I’m only sorry that I bought this book first. It is a trilogy and this was the third book. Daniel Kalla isn’t just a gifted author, he is also an emergency doctor!
October 31, 2017
Gave up half way through; did not hold my interest. Perhaps because there were so many references to previous happenings in other books that just made it difficult to follow.
November 28, 2017
Very enjoyable trilogy!
September 11, 2019
3.5 stars. The first book in the series was by far my favorite. But I was glad to see how the author wrapped up the story.
September 16, 2019
Much better read than the other 2 in the series.
January 4, 2020
Highly recommend!! Love the writers style, love the story line. This trilogy is fantastic!!
August 26, 2020
Jewish Refugees in Shanghai. Trilogy.
August 6, 2021
The third and final book of life in the Shanghi ghetto as seen through the eyes of a refugee Austrian Jewish surgeon
February 13, 2023
the REAL STORY
How RIGHT over Might prevails under the most difficult of the gruesome realities of War! LOVE is Strong until the End….
How RIGHT over Might prevails under the most difficult of the gruesome realities of War! LOVE is Strong until the End….
March 22, 2017
Excellent trilogy
I love sagas like these. Reminds me of Ken Follett, who is a favorite. Learned a lot about shanghai. Wish I had read before I went there.
I love sagas like these. Reminds me of Ken Follett, who is a favorite. Learned a lot about shanghai. Wish I had read before I went there.
December 4, 2016
Busy moms (and dads): The final book in the historical fiction trilogy concludes the story of the Adler family and their friends during World War II and the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, with similar trials and tribulations to books one and two. That’s not to say it’s the same book, or even the same plot lines, but a continuation of the stories, wrap up of some plot lines and a bit of open-ended in terms of the future of the surviving characters after the war.
Yes, that’s right. Not everyone lives. Never fear, I’m not saying what happens, or to whom! The characters continue to be well-developed, realistic and flawed. Mistakes are made, some repeated, despite the lessons those characters learned in previous books. The conflict with Japanese leadership over the Jewish ghetto and members of the family continues. An SS officer from the Adler’s past returns to continue making threats to them. New characters are introduced, all purposeful and with intriguing story lines that draw the reader back into the story of the Adler family.
The overall book, despite a well-constructed and deliberate plot, did feel less engaging and tense than the previous two books. It had been more than a year since my reading of book two, Rising Sun, Falling Shadow, and with all the story lines that I remembered being wrapped up in that book, I was a little surprised that there was enough story left for a full third book. This thought was further substantiated by a few plot lines in Nightfall Over Shanghai that felt forced. One example is the story line about the SS officer; it probably adds the least to the book and almost feels like a required detail and distraction. Certainly SS officers and Nazis who were in Shanghai did persist in cruel and despicable behaviors, even after the tides had turned, but for the purpose of this book, it seemed superfluous to everything else going on. Sunny falls into spying (again) and Hannah can’t seem to resist the boy who caused so much trouble for her family in Rising Sun that her father was arrested and tortured. Those details aside, the book does do an excellent job of portraying the desperation and fear felt by the entire refugee community held under the thumb of the Japanese military. At a time when refugees of present day, such as those from war-torn Syria, are struggling for acceptance and safety in other countries, the struggle of the Jews in 1940s Shanghai seems particularly poignant. Nightfall also brings closure to the story of the Adler family and their community with the end of World War II.
My final thoughts are that the book is a good one. It did not captivate me with the intensity of The Far Side of the Sky or even Rising Sun, Falling Shadow, but did round out the story. When I closed the book, I felt the story of the Adler’s received the closure it was due. It also gave a thorough history on the Jewish emigration to China, their war-time fate and post-war lives, something I was not familiar with prior to these books. Certainly worth the time of a busy mom (and dad), and appropriate to read with the older kids.
Yes, that’s right. Not everyone lives. Never fear, I’m not saying what happens, or to whom! The characters continue to be well-developed, realistic and flawed. Mistakes are made, some repeated, despite the lessons those characters learned in previous books. The conflict with Japanese leadership over the Jewish ghetto and members of the family continues. An SS officer from the Adler’s past returns to continue making threats to them. New characters are introduced, all purposeful and with intriguing story lines that draw the reader back into the story of the Adler family.
The overall book, despite a well-constructed and deliberate plot, did feel less engaging and tense than the previous two books. It had been more than a year since my reading of book two, Rising Sun, Falling Shadow, and with all the story lines that I remembered being wrapped up in that book, I was a little surprised that there was enough story left for a full third book. This thought was further substantiated by a few plot lines in Nightfall Over Shanghai that felt forced. One example is the story line about the SS officer; it probably adds the least to the book and almost feels like a required detail and distraction. Certainly SS officers and Nazis who were in Shanghai did persist in cruel and despicable behaviors, even after the tides had turned, but for the purpose of this book, it seemed superfluous to everything else going on. Sunny falls into spying (again) and Hannah can’t seem to resist the boy who caused so much trouble for her family in Rising Sun that her father was arrested and tortured. Those details aside, the book does do an excellent job of portraying the desperation and fear felt by the entire refugee community held under the thumb of the Japanese military. At a time when refugees of present day, such as those from war-torn Syria, are struggling for acceptance and safety in other countries, the struggle of the Jews in 1940s Shanghai seems particularly poignant. Nightfall also brings closure to the story of the Adler family and their community with the end of World War II.
My final thoughts are that the book is a good one. It did not captivate me with the intensity of The Far Side of the Sky or even Rising Sun, Falling Shadow, but did round out the story. When I closed the book, I felt the story of the Adler’s received the closure it was due. It also gave a thorough history on the Jewish emigration to China, their war-time fate and post-war lives, something I was not familiar with prior to these books. Certainly worth the time of a busy mom (and dad), and appropriate to read with the older kids.
December 19, 2020
'Nightfall over Shanghai' does not seem to have the same captivating and gripping effect as the two preceding books 'The Far Side of The Sky' and 'Rising Sun, Falling Shadow'. Most likely, without having read those books, little enjoyment could be found in this book.
Although the first two books were true page-turners for me, I struggled to finish this one. Maybe some stories should be kept with an open ending. 3 Stars
Although the first two books were true page-turners for me, I struggled to finish this one. Maybe some stories should be kept with an open ending. 3 Stars
September 13, 2015
A very satisfying conclusion to this excellent trilogy. The novel open in April1944. Life in the designated area is increasingly difficult with little food, crowded conditions and the uncertainty of knowing when the war will end. Franz and Sunny continue to work miracles in the refugee hospital. Ghoya the head of the designated area, continues to make life difficult for the Franz and Sunny and many others. As an act of malice, he sends Franz to work in a Japanese field hospital. As the war ends, people begin to make decisions about their future with Palestine being one of the options.
October 18, 2015
Good book, with the last year of the Japanese occupation of Shangai, and other parts of China during WW2. It had been some time since the 2nd book in this trilogy, so it took a little while to get back into the story of the characters. Well worth reading, although the final part of the ending was a littl "blah", although perhaps not for the characters. I wonder what story Kalla will tell next, whether it will be involving the early days of growing establishment of Israel after WW2, and if Franz and Sunny and their family will be part of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews