Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom Author:Katherine Paterson When Wang Lee is rescued from his bandit kidnappers by a kind stranger, he finds that he has fallen into the hands of a secret group of rebels dedicated to overthrowing the hated Manchu emperor. At first, Wang Lee mistrusts his new companions. Especially when he discovers that his savior is a woman named Mei Lin whose unbound feet an... more »d authoritative stature among the rebels defies all that his peasant upbringing has taught him. But he must join with the rebels and learn to be a soldier -- and even kill for the cause.
Singing and marching, the crusaders fight in the villages and cities, on mountains and rivers; it is a time to establish a new age. But for Wang Lee it is a time of agonizing questions that neither Mei Lin, nor his philosopher friend, Shen, can answer. Could their dreams of a Heavenly Kingdom of Peace come true? Could their kings rule in harmony? And could Wang Lee, once a peasant boy, and Mei Lin, once a slave, at last be free to express forbidden feelings for one another?« less