Peking Dust

Name: Peking Dust
Author: Ellen N. La Motte

By Ellen N. La Motte

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Essays, Letters & Speeches Travel Writing

About This Book

A series of travel letters and sketches recounts impressions from visits to Peking and other Chinese locales, combining vivid street scenes, markets, houses, funerals, dust storms, and modes of transport with photographic illustrations. The author observes political and diplomatic tensions, including foreign spheres of influence, railway disputes, the opium controversy, and local incidents that reveal international pressure on the country. Delivered in a conversational, gossipy tone, the pieces alternate anecdote and reportage to portray everyday life alongside the larger forces shaping society and policy.

About the Author

Ellen N. La Motte

Ellen N. La Motte was an American author and nurse known for her poignant writings that often reflect her experiences in war and healthcare. Her notable work, "The Backwash of War," provides a harrowing account of the human cost of conflict as witnessed through her role as a hospital nurse during World War I. La Motte's literary contributions also include "Civilization: Tales of the Orient" and "Peking Dust," which explore themes of culture and society in the East. Additionally, she wrote extensively on public health issues, as seen in her handbook for tuberculosis nurses, emphasizing the importance of healthcare education and practical training.