LETTER FROM PEKING

Letter from Peaking is a beautiful love story by Pearl. S. Buck. It is in the form of entries in a diary,
Elizabeth, the most important character of the novel, keeps a diary. The first entry is dated 25 September, 1950. Elizabeth is the only child of her parents.
At Radcliffe College Elizabeth meets Gerald Macleod and falls in love with him. Gerald is the son of Dr. Macleod, the American advisor of Chinese Emperor. Elizabeth’s mother reluctantly agrees to their marriage. But she cannot accept her daughter going to China.
Elizabeth and Gerald go to China and settle down. Elizabeth soon becomes used to the Chinese way of life. She also learns the Chinese language. The happy couples first born child Ro-an dies and they are plunged into grief. Soon she gives birth to a boy.
The Japanese invasion of China disturbs their idyllic life. Elizabeth leaves China with their son Rennie. Gerald stays back to take care of his faculty at the college. Later it become impossible for him to leave China
Gerald writes to Elizabeth and keeps in touch with his family. As time goes on the frequency of the letters comes down. Then she does not get any letter for three months. On 25 September she receives a letter from Gerald that hurts her much. Gerald, in the letter, asks her to allow him to marry his Chinese house keeper. She does not send reply.
Many months later she receives another letter from his house keeper informing her of Gerald’s death. Only then she learns why he wrote the letter asking her permission to marry his house keeper.