The Breath of the Dragon

About the Book

The fi rst part of the book contains a brief history of China and what brought on the revolution and the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is important to read it to understand what followed. Directly after the history, we begin the story of two girls who have just graduated from nursing colleges in Minnesota. For one girl it was a life long dream to work in China. Both were recruited by a Chinese Doctor who wanted nurses for a mission hospital in Chung King. This is the story of the adventures they have at the hospital in Chung King during the year 1938 to the summer of 1939 when the Japanese were making inroads in the north, gradually taking over many areas of China. As the Japanese grew stronger, there was all out war, with bombings becoming continuous. It is the story of understanding another culture, falling in love, getting married and fi nal decision to try and go home before their luck runs out, and the dangers they face in an effort to leave the country.

About the Author

Rita J. Myntti writes under her maiden name, Rita J. Beron. She lived in many areas of the country, moving 27 times while following her husband’s career pursuits, and has traveled extensively through out the world, including China. During this time, she raised fi ve children, attending universities throughout the country, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana. She has written throughout her life, from journals and short stories as a child, to travel articles for newspapers wherever she happened to live, and children’s stories for her own children. In December 2005, she acquired a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota in Duluth. Her beginning efforts at novel writing began in her early twenties and ended with a lost manuscript during one of her many moves in her life. She now has a corner of her own and is able to pursue some of her own dreams. Other novels she has written are the Monet Deception, and Family Voices, a Montreal Story.