Books with title Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom

When 15-year-old peasant Wang Lee is kidnapped by ruthless bandits, he is afraid his life is over. But his fear turns to astonishment when a mysterious stranger, beautiful young Mei Lin, rescues him to serve in the forces of the Heavenly Army. As they fall in love, the two Chinese youths are caught up in the heady Taiping Rebellion and the beginning of The New Age. Suddenly they are separated by a new edict: men and women will no longer live or work together. This award-winning tale is of one of Katherine Paterson’s best. It was chosen for the American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists” and the Bank Street Children’s Book of the Year. Set against a backdrop of one of China’s most dramatic periods of history, it follows these two young soldiers as they are torn between the idealism of a movement seeking to restore the Empire to its people—and a perilous desire for each other.

Abducted from his home by bandits, fifteen-year-old Wang Lee is rescued from slavery by a mysterious girl who introduces him to the Taiping Tienkuo, a secret society partly based on Christian principles and dedicated to the overthrow of the Manchu government.Mei Lin, a woman warrior, and pigboy Wang Lee find love, intrigue, adventure, and danger as rebels seeking to overthrow the Chinese emperor during the 1850s amid the Taiping Rebellion

From beloved author and master storyteller Katherine Paterson comes a reissued historical novel of intrigue, war, and love, set against the Taiping Rebellion. Wang Lee is a young peasant boy, caught up in a secret group dedicated to overthrowing the hated Manchu emperor of China. Wang Lee faces a tough challenge: he must learn to be a soldier and kill for his cause. As the battles rage on, Wang Lee finds himself surrounded by a shifting world — women who show their strength against all odds, and peasants transforming into a noble army. With her signature grace, style, and compassion, Paterson has created an epic tale of 19th-century China, full of adventure, insight, and hope.