The Nightwalkers

An eerie story of lost identity, of a man who emerges to an awareness of who he is after six lost years, with no idea of where he was, what he did, and with nightmares involving dragons and bronzes and a beautiful Eurasian. Recovered from an illness, with help from a Chinese and a Swede, he returns to post-war Shanghai, finds his wife, who questions his supposed career as a guerrilla fighter, and tries desperately to find the lost pieces. Two groups are involved- both concerned with some lost bronze treasures, with which he as archeologist has identified himself in delirium. Some of the ramifications of the mystery seem unnecessarily involved; some loose threads remain; but they contribute to the general atmosphere. An elaborate fake almost succeeds, as a beautiful Eurasian materializes and claims him as her husband. He goes- by appointment to a monastery, and there finds the clue to the missing years. Good story telling- and presumably sound, certainly convincing, understanding of the Chinese mind. Kirkus Review 1947