Leaving China: An Artist Paints His World War II Childhood

The New York Times
- Sarah Harrison Smith
McMullan's experiences before and during the Second World War are fascinating: The complex family relationships are carefully and delicately described, and details of the history of the period…are intriguing and likely to be new to many readers. The artwork nicely balances the text: Fifty-four full-page illustrations are each faced by a page of written memoir, so the book never feels overburdened by narrative. And beyond their aesthetic qualities, the paintings bring significant emotional and cultural context to this story of a young artist's struggle for self-acceptance.




Publishers Weekly01/13/2014
The grandchild of missionaries and the son of extroverted socialites, illustrator McMullan was forced to leave China when WWII started and the Japanese occupied the country.