The Lady and the Tiger

Patricia Linder's newest book The Lady and the Tiger gives the reader and in-depth account of life in a foreign country during a politically uncertain time. The setting is Taiwan, Republic of China during the last days of the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1979. To the west is communist China, determined to reclaim this island it calls "a rogue province" and thereby, impose communist rule on what has been a democracy for thirty years. Rear Admiral James Linder, representing the U.S. government as the Commander of Taiwan Defense Forces, has been given the job of protecting the Republic of China from any such incursion. The Linders, acting upon official Department of Defense orders, take up residence in Taipei and the countdown begins. As the author deals with the challenges of the ways of the Far East, the time grows shorter for the safety of the Chinese and Taiwanese they have come to know and care about. On December fifteenth 1978, the Carter Administration abrogates the Treaty that guarantees Taiwan's safety, thus leaving the Island vulnerable to a communist attack. Riots ensue and lives are threatened. This is the story of a virtually unknown chapter of American history.