Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao’s Revolution

Placeholder author icon
By Helen Zia

Published Jan. 18, 2019

Last Boat Out of Shanghai (Ballantine Books) traces the dramatic story of four young people who fled the city in the wake of the 1949 Communist Revolution. Seventy years later, journalist Helen Zia ’73 interviews these exiles about their decision to leave behind their life for uncertain futures in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States.

Paw in print

Image
The October 2025 cover of PAW, featuring an illustration of a woman dressed like Superman, but the S on her chest is a dollar sign.
The Latest Issue

October 2025

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott ’92; President Eisgruber ’83 defends higher ed; Julia Ioffe ’05 explains Russia.