The Other China: Journeys Around Taiwan

Jo-Anne Mary Benson’s quarterly column in Ottawa Parent magazine
focuses on books for children and parents.

The Other China is catalogued as “Taiwan—Description and travel,”
but the travel aspects are painfully slow in arriving. The first half of
the book examines the history of Taiwan since Communist control of
mainland China in 1949 and the Nationalists’ departure to what is now
referred to as the rival Republic of China, or Taiwan. Industry,
economics, religion, politics, leadership, and various aspects of the
Taiwanese/Chinese relationship are among the topics the author addresses
before turning his attention to his circumnavigation of Taiwan in 1991.
His book emphasizes the country’s history and politics, and in that
respect is more suggestive of investigative journalism rather than
conventional travel writing. The reader comes away admiring
Fetherling’s passion for Taiwan and his depth of coverage, while at
the same time wishing he had achieved a more personal and entertaining
presentation.