When We Were Orphans

This is the story of Christopher Banks, born in Shanghai in the early years of the 20th century to English parents living within the protected enclosures of the International Settlement, and orphaned at the age of nine. First his father, and shortly thereafter his mother, disappears under suspicious circumstances. Christopher is sent to England to be raised by an aunt, and in his 20s becomes one of the most renowned detectives in the country. Finally, in 1937, he returns to Shanghai - where the war between the Chinese and Japanese is already raging - to solve the mystery of his parents' disappearances. Welcomed as the prodigal son by the English community, he nonetheless fails in his efforts: only through the shocking confession of a beloved figure from his past does he discover the difficult truths about his parents - and about himself.