Springfield, Ohio - Winberg Chai The Girl From Purple Mountain May-lee Chai Released in June 2001 and already nominated for a National Book Award, The Girl From Purple Mountain, written by Sinologist Winberg Chai, Class of 1955, and his daughter, May-lee, continues to garner attention from national critics, including those at The Washington Post and The New York Times.

A true story of love, betrayal and healing set against the shifting tides of 20th Century China, the book explores the extraordinary life of the late Ruth Mei-en Tsao Chai, a member of Wittenberg University's Class of 1929 and Winberg's mother. Ruth Chai so loved Wittenberg that she named her sons after the university and her final resting place after her college dormitory, Ferncliff.

In 1937, the Japanese invasion of Nanking forced Ruth Chai and her family to flee across China, but Ruth Chai's foresight and courage kept her and her family alive, and one step ahead of the advancing army. "Credited with saving the family by insisting they immigrate to America, Ruth Mei-en Tsao Chai was a woman with impeccable judgment, a deeply ingrained set of values and high moral standards," writes Lori Tsang in The Washington Post.

The book, published by St. Martin's Press, has also been called "mesmerizing" by Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking. Look for more on this book in an upcoming issue of Wittenberg Magazine.