Yu Yuan is a cadet at Huangpu Military Academy before and during the Revolution; however, when the Communists take over, they subsume the Academy, previously an important part of the Kuomintang military machine, into their number, and all cadets are made part of the People's Revolutionary Army. Yu becomes a low-ranking officer and is deployed to Korea with the 180th Division. Leaving behind his mother and his fiance, he becomes a translator because he is one of the few members of his unit who have knowledge of the English language. His unit cross into South Korea and fight against the forces of the United Nations but are eventually beaten. Yu is hurt, and captured, held first in a military hospital and subsequently in a prisoner of war camp. He is impressed and surprised by the gentility of the hospital staff and the humane way in which he, an enemy, is treated.
The Communist prisoners fall into two main camps. One group are loyal to the Communists and want to go home to China or at least be repatriated to North Korea. The opposing group are those who want to defect and live in freedom in the west, or repatriate to South Korea. These are the pro-nationalists. There is frequent and regular violence between the two groups. Yu wants to find a copacetic middle ground but struggles to do so.
He also wants to hide the fact that he is an officer (and therefore a potential trading piece). He assumes a false identity and is taken to the island of Guh-Jae-Do where he is housed in the pro-nationalist section, somewhat against his preferences. His main goal is to return home to his mother and his fiance; he doesn't care about the politics of the situation but wants to return to China for them, and so would prefer to be considered a pro-communist. When he verbalizes his desire to return to mainland China he is kidnapped by the pro-nationalists who tattoo "fuck communism" across his forehead, in English. The camp authorities eventually decide to screen all of their prisoners and divide them on political lines in order to reduce the violence. The leaders of both factions engage in hard lobbying to try to win as many men over to their side as possible. Yu wants to go home. He chooses to be classified as a Communist and is transferred to a Communist camp where he is treated with suspicion because he was previously seen to be allied with the nationalists. However, his English language skills are rather handy and enable him to gain the trust of his superior officers.
The North Koreans kidnap General Bell, the commandant of the prisoner of war camps. They enlist the assistance of the Chinese prisoners whom they have up until now largely tried to outdo. The leader of the Communitst Chinese camp sends Yu as his representative to a meeting with the Koreans. He enables the Chinese to put together the intelligence that in turn enables them to carry out Bell's kidnapping, which is a significant feather in the Chinese cap.
It is not long before the prisoners are moved to a better organized camp system on Cheju Island. This is a double-edged sword because although the facilities are better, cleaner and generally more sanitary, the methods for controlling the prisoners are also better and more effective. This means that resistance of any kind is much harder and punished more severely. The prisoners begin to worry that when they do return to China they will be rejected or treated as pariahs; there is enormous shame in their culture in being captured, and they will be viewed very negatively for not fighting to the death. It is a true "death before dishonor" culture.
Some while after their move to Cheju Island, a small group of Chinese officers are sent to Korea to "re-register". This includes Comisar Pei's right hand man, Chang Ming. Pei is concerned about the loss of his English-speaking bagman and so orders Yu to pretend to be Chang Ming and go to Korea in his place. Yu is furious but goes as instructed, only to discover that "re-registering" is not a sinister euphemism for being disappeared, as they all suspected; it's merely exactly what it says on the can, and involves tedious bureaucratic paperwork. However, the subterfuge is discovered and Yu, masquerading as Ming claims to be angry with the Communists, seeing him sent to the nationalist camp at Koje Island.Once there he is treated with suspicion all over again, because he has been with the Communists. However the Nationalists also see an advantage in having him represent them as he has good credentials and good English. It is during this time that there is a peace accord between the United Nations and the North Koreans, which means that the prisoners look forward to repatriation.
Yu is again required to pick a side, which is complicated; he has spent countless moths with the Communists which will forever damage his reputation in Taiwan. On the other hand, the Communists don't like him very much either; unless Pei and Ming have survived their imprisonment and are prepared to speak up for him, he will be persona non grata in China as well. Not to mention, being a prisoner in the first place is still something to bring shame on both him and his family. He hears a rumor that emigrating to a neutral country is possible and this becomes his plan. As he enters the registration tent, he sees an old friend who is acting as a Communist Chinese observer in the process. All at once he realizes that choosing a neutral country will bring repercussions to his family. His friend convinces him that prisoners are treated favorably when they return to China, and so he makes this his choice.
His glorious homecoming turns out to be far different than the homecoming of his imagination. In the two years of his absence, his fiance has deserted him in shame, as he has brought disgrace to the family name by allowing himself as a party member to have been imprisoned. His mother has passed away. He is seen as disloyal and is unable to use his college education. He settles into a quiet and lonely existence as a teacher.
Eventually he goes on to marry and father a child. His child attends a prestigious college thanks to his old party connections, and his son eventually escapes China and attends school in the United States. As he ages, he learns of the terrible acts committed by his old superiors in the name of Communism. He also learns that his old Nationalist acquaintances have prospered and are happy in Taiwan. He visits his son in America and at last finds time to write the memoir we, the readers, have been reading. He dedicates it to his American grandchildren.
