City of Tranquil Light

A Novel

By: Bo Caldwell

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Will Kiehn is seemingly destined for life as a humble farmer in the Midwest when, having felt a call from God, he travels to the vast North China Plain in the early twentieth century. There he is surprised by love and weds a strong and determined fellow missionary, Katherine. They soon find themselves witnesses to the crumbling of a more than two-thousand-year-old dynasty that plunges the country into decades of civil war. As the couple works to improve the lives of the people of Kuang P’ing Ch’eng - City of Tranquil Light, a place they come to love - and face incredible hardship, will their faith and relationship be enough to sustain them?

©2010 Bo Caldwell (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A remarkable evocation of another time and place as well as a deeply moving love story.” (Ron Rash, author of Serena)

“City of Tranquil Light is a poem in prose form, and it will lift any reader’s spirit as it lifted mine.” (Jay Parini, author of The Last Station)

"Told through Will and Katherine’s alternating viewpoints, and inspired by the lives of the author’s maternal grandparents, City of Tranquil Light is a tender and elegiac portrait of a young marriage set against the backdrop of the shifting face of a beautiful but torn nation. A deeply spiritual book, it shows how those who work to teach others often have the most to learn and is further evidence that Bo Caldwell writes “vividly and with great historical perspective.” ( San Jose Mercury News)

Powerful Spiritual Resolve

If you could sum up City of Tranquil Light in three words, what would they be?

This was a marvelous account of a missionary couple's powerful spiritual resolve. This was a moving, brilliant, and inspiring story. Thank you, Bo Caldwell for giving us this must-read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Katharine - she was a soft and yielding healer and spiritual leader.

What does Bronson Pinchot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ease in listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It was more powerful to let it soak in and contemplate the issues brought forth.

A Journey of Hope

The book tugs at your heart strings, and enlightens the mind to a life of goodness and love.

Compelling story told well

Since I'm not a big fan of Christian lit I didn't expect to like this much, but the research and writing are so good that I was completely drawn intothe story. The narration is excellent, with good variation between the voices.

Read this before listening

When one of the characters was learning to speak Chinese it was noted that the language has four tones, so a sound could be a completely different word on a different tone.

Well, Mr. Pinchot has TWO tones, one for the male character and one for the female. They are not very different so it's important to be aware of the subtle changes in inflection to recognize who is speaking. This confused me some early on, but eventually I picked up on the difference.

Great Story

Very touching story and performance. They suffered a lot yet Thanked God for letting them serve

Tranquil light

What an apt title for an exquisite journey of the best and deepest gifts of the human heart- while riding the tidal wave of China's violent, even dark history. As redemptive a read as I can remember.
Reader was excellent but this would have greatly benefitted by the addition of a female reader speaking for the wife.

Incredibly spiritual and insightful novel

City of Tranquil Light is a gift. It is truly one of the most beautiful and spiritual books I have ever read. It is filled with wisdom and insight, and I was so inspired by the faith and courage of the main characters in the novel. Honestly, it was amazingly profound, and I have been deeply touched and changed by it.

What We're Here For

This beautifully written historical story of early twentieth century China has inspiration for us here and now. It's the story of how love, faith, and service to God, can give meaning to individual lives. This book illustrates what we're all searching for and how a few people found it.

Profoundly moving

An evocative love story on several levels: the love between a man and a woman; their love for their adopted country, China, and its people; their love for their friends AND their enemies; and fundamentally, the love between God and his children. This novel rings with truth. It resonates within my soul and I found it profoundly moving.
It would have benefited from a second narrator, a female. But still, a wonderful audio book!

Amazing, must read

The story is incredibly compelling. It portrays true Christian faith—grit and all. Christ is shown to be real, beautiful, and loving. The theme of forgiveness could resonate with any reader. The first person narration really brings you close to the heart of the characters. I consider this a must read!

The narration is excellent as well.