Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station

Publisher's Summary

Posing as a tourist, Emily makes her way to China with the job of protecting a CIA treasure.

©1983 Dorothy Gilman Butters (P)1990 Recorded Books, LLC

Delightful!

In this sixth adventure of Mrs. Pollifax, she is sent by Mr.Carstairs, her CIA boss, on a tour of the People's Republic of China with the objective of locating a particular man in a particular barber shop in a warren of alleyways outside the walls of a historic Chinese city. Once she finds the man, she is to attempt to get information from him about the exact location of a particular work camp where dissidents are held.

Written in 1983, this book deals with China in a period of very tense relations between the US and China, when the Chinese government kept an iron fist over the Chinese people, and foreign tourism was tightly restricted. As a result, a large part of Mrs. P's mission was to get away from the tour long enough to locate the man in question, get the information from him, and get back to the tour group without being caught in any suspicious behavior. Then she was supposed to hand the information over to another member of her tour group and her mission was finished. Of course, Emily Pollifax can never simply do her job and withdraw -- she will always want to help any person who could use assistance. And so she gets more deeply involved than was intended.

One of the best parts of Mrs. Pollifax stories is not the mission she is sent on, but the people she encounters and becomes friends with. In this book, the members of her tour group are a varied bunch of Americans, and there is a lot of personal emotion going on in the group. Mrs. P becomes personally involved with several of the group, advising young people about relationships, and not-so-young people about life in general. She forms an emotional attachment to the young American agent she was sent to help, and as a result becomes more emotionally involved than in some other adventures.

Emily Pollifax is such a delightful, amusing and caring little old lady that the books written about her are warm, funny, suspenseful and heartwarming all at the same time. They always provide a lovely escape from the everyday lives we lead.

As usual, Barbara Rosenblat is amazing in narration, providing Emily with the absolutely perfect sweet little old lady voice while also providing spot-on portrayals of Americans fvrom various regions of the country and of Chinese characters, both male and female. If you see Mrs. P books read by someone else, avoid them -- only Rosenblat will do!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

31 of 31 people found this review helpful

China meets Mrs. Pollifax

Mrs. Pollifax goes to China - and manages to make friends even with the police! She is supposed to help another agent free someone from a labor camp and get them out of the country. A tall order, but Mrs. P is determined not to let Carstairs down. Mayhem and mirth ensue. And Mrs. Pollifax, as usual, goes far beyond her mission objectives. Well worth the credit!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Superb story & narrator!!!

I absolutely love this series! Dorothy Gilman writes with believable characters and great storyline. I love the humor, intrigue, and twists in the plot. I love that her characters seem to come to life and display a gamut of emotions through the series. Each book flows seamlessly into the next.

Narrator has become one of my absolute favorites! Barbara stays consistent to each character. She is like a chameleon with her many voices. Her "acting" draws me into the story.

This book series should be produced as a TV series. It would be prime time series in no time especially if Barbara continued as narrator.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

China

It is amazing to me that I can listen to certain stories over. I usually can't stand that except for a very few writers. The Mrs Pollifax series is one such set. I love her read of people, her ability to tackle problems quickly and accurately.
If you haven't met her, you won't be disappointed when you do!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A Good One

Love Mrs Pollifax’s style overall, and this was a great installment, rich in experiential details that bring to life not only the Chinese landscapes, but the cultural identities and frictions that make the whole thing feel authentic. For the first time, there is a co-agent in the mix, and his perspective freshens up the story and throws Mrs Pollifax into a new role. I appreciate that Mrs Pollifax as a character is evolving both in spy skills and in her relationships - being more interdependent and unafraid to trust others. These audiobooks are always a joy.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

One of my favorites

I have read and listened to this book innumerable times and enjoy it every time! The narrator is a master with voices and I love listening to her performance.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wonderful Series

Just recently discovered Mrs. Pollifax in Audible Books and I 've enjoyed every story. The narrator is superb and the stories are intelligent and intriguing! Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station is fascinating, full of character development, stunning description of the land and culture and insight into the politics at the time the story takes place. Looking forward to Mrs. Pollifax' next adventure. Excellent story; excellent series.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Love this series

I thoroughly enjoy this series especially with B. Rosenblat as the narrator. She captures the characters and atmosphere beautifully.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Fun spy novel

The Mrs Polifax books are fun, good old fashioned spy stories. Each book seems to stand alone, so you could definitely pick up any of them. Mrs Polifax is a retired widow who ends up with a new career as an unlikely spy. This particular story brings her to China and keeps the reader guessing throughout. Not a literary masterpiece, but a good, fun read. I have already read 2 of the books in the series before this one, and I will definitely read more books in the series. Also excellent narration!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Mrs Polifax and the China Station

as always this was a joy to hear and listen to. Barbara is truly amazing!