Buy new:
-37% $10.64
FREE delivery Sunday, May 19 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$10.64 with 37 percent savings
List Price: $16.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Sunday, May 19 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Saturday, May 18. Order within 5 hrs 31 mins
In Stock
$$10.64 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.64
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.97
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 21 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$10.64 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$10.64
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Weina Dai Randel
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Night Angels: A Novel Paperback – February 1, 2023

by Weina Dai Randel (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 19,512 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$10.64","priceAmount":10.64,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"64","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"fCdzx8xO2Ng9woF5A6%2FxcGRCeoXAIPjkuTczAa1aDBwH12KnPDiVONenu3pvYwYYcbwjmHBnBPmxRkwOJjy3SU9Bc1Jze1JrtMcYbH54abg9MOlSWTcHMpg7BPFr6d%2FvYmL5uPP%2Focq5y9x6gqG7kA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.97","priceAmount":9.97,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"97","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"fCdzx8xO2Ng9woF5A6%2FxcGRCeoXAIPjkqqZz5GMqt21d2E8N7cYBWQwsd3VOnAHNn972hsKMaODPdgiIx2z3IA2eJptlrFaTmSvaNOlRY49q98IP0vafKIpGYsmZbBrIq9Cq4UrgiD2BDEpceGGSmVpqZLgeucaLI4z%2FXtPZfTnsYkA4SSP7X0s4yVV5S9nK","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

From the author of The Last Rose of Shanghai comes a profoundly moving novel about a diplomatic couple who risked their lives to help Viennese Jews escape the Nazis, inspired by the true story of Dr. Ho Fengshan, Righteous Among the Nations.

1938. Dr. Ho Fengshan, consul general of China, is posted in Vienna with his American wife, Grace. Shy and ill at ease with the societal obligations of diplomats’ wives, Grace is an outsider in a city beginning to feel the sweep of the Nazi dragnet. When Grace forms a friendship with her Jewish tutor, Lola Schnitzler, Dr. Ho requests that Grace keep her distance. His instructions are to maintain amicable relations with the Third Reich, and he and Grace are already under their vigilant eye.

But when Lola’s family is subjugated to a brutal pogrom, Dr. Ho decides to issue them visas to Shanghai. As violence against the Jews escalates after Kristallnacht and threats mount, Dr. Ho must issue thousands more to help Jews escape Vienna before World War II explodes.

Inspired by a remarkable true story, Night Angels explores the risks brave souls took and the love and friendship they built and lost while fighting against incalculable evil.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    379 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 1, 2023
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1542038006
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1542038003
  7. See all details
Next page
All the Little Raindrops: A Novel
"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

Frequently bought together

Night Angels: A Novel
$10.64
Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
The Last Rose of Shanghai: A Novel
$8.29
Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
The Empress of Bright Moon (The Empress of Bright Moon Duology)
$15.99
Get it as soon as Monday, May 20
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. Thirty-two countries, including the USA, Britain, and France, had failed in their humanitarian mission.
    Highlighted by 261 Kindle readers
  2. His mind could switch effortlessly between four languages, but his stomach remained Chinese.
    Highlighted by 191 Kindle readers
Next page

From the Publisher

"an unforgettable tale of quiet heroism and blazing defiance in the face of evil" -Kate Quinn

"An illuminating look at a[n] inspiring piece of history we should never forget" -Kristin Harmel

"a gorgeous tale of daring diplomatic pursuits that had me turning pages past my bedtime" -Lisa Barr

Editorial Reviews

Review

Named one of NetGalley’s Most-Anticipated Books. ―We Are Bookish

“Night Angels offers a fresh non-western-centric perspective on the rise of Nazism and Jewish persecution. Recommended.” ―Historical Novels Review

“This powerful tale of resistance and everyday heroism will resonate with fans of Pam Jenoff and Martha Hall Kelly.” ―Booklist

“Schindler’s List takes an Eastern twist in Night Angels, the incredible true story of the Chinese diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in WWII Vienna. Quiet, scholarly Ho Fengshan has just been made consul general in Vienna, preoccupied with his troubled American wife, Grace, and disquieted by the new anti-Semitic laws sweeping Austria. Grace’s friendship with Jewish musician Lola forces both Fengshan and his wife to the breaking point: How much can one sacrifice to save innocent lives? Weina Dai Randel pens an unforgettable tale of quiet heroism and blazing defiance in the face of evil.” ―Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

“An illuminating look at a little-known, inspiring piece of history we should never forget.” ―Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars

“Weina Dai Randel’s Night Angels is a gorgeous WWII historical tale of daring diplomatic pursuits that had me turning the pages way past my bedtime. Based on the true heroic story of Dr. Ho Fengshan, Randel’s prose is rich and powerfully layered. By day, Fengshan is a warrior for his country and a fighter for humanity while secretly issuing thousands of visas to Jews to Shanghai to escape Nazi persecution. It is a sweeping novel filled with love, loss, high stakes, sacrifice, and redemption that will break your heart and fuel your soul.” ―Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire

“An exquisitely delivered tale of three souls―a Chinese diplomat who risks everything, his benevolent wife, and a Jewish language tutor―all caught up in the hell that was Nazi-occupied Vienna, and of the resulting quest to hold on to hope and their humanity. Hauntingly beautiful.” ―Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

About the Author

Weina Dai Randel is the award-winning author of The Last Rose of Shanghai as well as The Moon in the Palace and The Empress of Bright Moon, a historical duology about Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor. Weina is the winner of the RWA RITA Award, a National Jewish Book Award finalist, a Goodreads Choice Award semifinalist, and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee. Her books have been translated into twelve languages and sold worldwide. Born in China, Weina came to the United States at twenty-four. She holds an MA in English from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Interviews with Weina have appeared on WFAA’s Good Morning Texas and in such publications as China Daily, World Literature Today, the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and Los Angeles Review of Books. After living in Texas for years, Weina now resides in Boston with her loving husband, two children, and a family of chipmunks in the backyard. For information, visit www.weinarandel.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing (February 1, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 379 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1542038006
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1542038003
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 19,512 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Weina Dai Randel

Weina Dai Randel

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Weina Dai Randel is the Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of four novels, Night Angels, The Last Rose of Shanghai, The Moon in the Palace and The Empress of Bright Moon, a historical duology about Wu Zetian. Weina is the winner of the RWA RITA® Award, a National Jewish Book Awards finalist, and a two-time Goodreads Choice Award Best Historical Fiction nominee. Weina is also the recipient of the Mass Cultural Council's art grant in 2023. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages.

Born in China, Weina came to the United States at twenty-four, when she switched to English and began to speak, write and dream in her second language. She holds an MA in English from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. She has worked as the subject-matter expert for Southern New Hampshire University’s MFA program and as an adjunct professor. Interviews with Weina have appeared on WFAA’s Good Morning Texas and in such publications as World Literature Today, Texas Jewish Post, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, and RT Book Reviews. After living in Texas for years, Weina now resides in Massachusetts with her family.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
19,512 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Matthew Lybanon
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction, Not History
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
"Night Angels" is historical fiction. As in all historical fiction, real events are at the core of the novel but some things come from the mind of the author. I had no idea when I started reading this book that it's at the center of a controversy. Ho Manli, the daughter of main character Dr. Ho Feng-Shan (the book omits the hyphen), is upset by what she calls "the wholesale distortions of history on which Weina Dai Randel has built her melodrama."

You may not even have heard of him before, but Ho Feng-Shan was a genuine hero who helped to save the lives of thousands of Jews. He was the Chinese Consul-General in Vienna in the late 1930s, and he granted visas (when other countries, including the United States, wouldn't) to Jews who had been stripped of everything and were in danger of being sent to labor camps, so that they could escape the Nazis. He was risking his career and possibly his life by doing this. "Night Angels" is accurate on this point, but some events in the novel are pretty obviously made up.

Despite the controversy I recommend "Night Angels" as a good read. It dramatizes a very important story—one that was hardly known to anyone until after Ho Feng-Shan's death. The tone is mostly calm throughout. This was a good choice by the author. The story itself is exciting; it doesn't need embellishment. You see major historical events through the eyes of people who lived through them (obviously the author doesn't know what was in the minds of the people; this is fiction). And it's beautifully written.

Enjoy reading "Night Angels". Just remember that it's a novel, not a history textbook.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Christin Keck
4.0 out of 5 stars A historically accurate and beautifully written account of a terrible time
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is about Ho Fengshan, a Chinese diplomat stationed in Vienna in the mid-to-late 30's, just before WWII. He is an actual historical figure, and the novel is a dramatization of what it might have been like during that horrible time when the Nazis were beginning their horrible solution to the "Jewish problem."

Fengshan was married to a woman named Grace, a half-Chinese American woman, who is depicted in the book as being very childlike and dreamy--not very engaged with issues or the world, but very young and beautiful and an asset for Fengshan to take around to the numerous gatherings, parties and soirees that he must attend. However, Grace is just extremely introverted and not confident at all; she doesn't speak either German OR Chinese, she is lonely and isolated and withdrawn. Her husband is aware of this, and he hires her a tutor to teach her to speak German--a young woman named Lola Schnitzler. The two women meet in the park, and Grace is immediately captivated by Lola's strength and optimism, but from that first meeting something goes horribly wrong; Lola sits on a bench in the park and she and Grace are arrested by the Gestapo. Of course, this is because Lola is Jewish and because Grace cannot read the small sign on the bench, which prohibits Jews from using the bench in any way, to warn her not to sit there. The women are taken to the Gestapo headquarters where they meet Adolph Eichmann, and his gang of sadistic thugs. Lola is beaten, Grace, being the wife of the Chinese diplomat, is released earlier and treated somewhat better, but it focuses Eichmann's attention on her and her husband, and he begins a systematic harrassment of both, as much as he can get away with.

Lola and Grace, however, manage through all of this to become friends--Grace's first and only friend in Vienna, and it brings Grace out of her shell and gives her confidence, and shows her that she has more strength than she knows. Over the next two years as the War ramps up and Hitler's tactics remove more and more freedoms from the Viennese Jews, this proves to be the saving of Grace, her husband, and even Grace's relationship with her 9 year old stepson Monto, whom she was convinced hated her.

The story moves on through the machinations of the Holocaust and Grace and her husband Fengshan diverge into different coping strategies--Grace involves herself with Lola and her family, helping them get out of Vienna, encouraging her husband to grant them exit visas to Shanghai, getting Lola's niece Eva (also 9 years old) to safety in Britain by smuggling her to a rescue organization. And as she gains in strength and involvement, so does Fengshan--who defies his government's orders by issuing thousands and thousands of visas to Jews, until Eichmann manages to get them all sent to concentration camps or extermination centers. Fengshan becomes obsessed with saving as many as he can, even though he has no idea if any of the visas he issues are doing them any good. (They were. They DID.) And though there is some separation in their goals and activities, Grace manages to become pregnant--something she has always wanted. But Eichmann proves to be the worst villain of all. At the climax of the book, a tragedy occurs that will change everyone's lives, and which will nearly kill Grace, and it is Eichmann's fault entirely.

The couple take different paths in their grief and to face the horrors that are uncovered by this situation, and Grace retreats even further than she was at the beginning. Fengshan risks his own life and puts his career on the line. Lola, who had been taken into custody again and sent to a ghetto and labor camp, has seemingly disappeared from Grace's life. She sinks into despair.

I won't tell you how this ends, though you might think you know anyway. If you have seen Ken Burns' film "The US and the Holocaust" you will see how meticulously and accurately this novel has been researched. It's a fine companion to that film, in fact. The characterizations of Fengshan, Grace and Lola are spot on, and descriptions are perfectly drawn to evoke the time and place.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite its subject matter, which is just not pleasant to know or read about. I recommend it. The writing is quite good. And discovering that Fengshan was actually a real person, and that he saved thousands of Viennese Jews through defiance of his own government, and while his country was under attack by the Japanese, is uplifting. So few stories of the Holocaust are. The author does not stint on her historical facts, though she says she has "imagined" the daily life of Fengshan, and invented Lola and Grace's relationship entirely. It matters little. She manages to evoke the time and attitudes perfectly. This is an excellent read.
22 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
P. K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Historical Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
Just when you think you’ve read every WW2 story out there, you discover something like Night Angels. Based on the real-life actions of Dr. Ho Fengshan, the Chinese consul general to Austria, and his wife Grace, this story of heroism, compassion, and quiet resistance in the face of grave danger is one you’ll never forget. Through Dr. Ho’s efforts, thousands of Jews were able to escape Nazi-occupied Vienna with the visas he issued. Despite countless warnings from his superiors, Dr. Ho never relented in his convictions or his single-minded humanitarian mission.

Weina Dai Randel’s depiction of a Vienna on the brink of war is both beautifully rendered and harrowing in its depth and honesty. This is a novel you’ll want to take your time with—it’s not always an easy read, but it’s an important one.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Long time reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
A fascinating true story about a Chinese diplomat who courageously helped thousands of Jewish people living in Vienna by giving them Chinese visas to get out Austria. While parts of this story are fiction according to the author I feel they are probably fairly similar to conditions at that time. Definitely worth reading.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Stephanie
4.0 out of 5 stars Next movie over here, streaming services
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
It's a beautiful story that combines friendship with history. I like how the author switches povs every chapter. Grace and Lola meet, and something about the younger girl makes Grace start to come out of her shell. Grace has spent years dealing with abuse from her mother and it turned her into a shell. Her husband does care about her but doesn't really see her. Lola does though and she sparks something. Finding out Fengsheng was a real figure was interesting. He was a hero and like some heroes, he suffered for trying to the right thing. It's a miracles that he didn't go insane with the pressure from a superior who had an extremely narrow vision and helping all those people
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Angela Scheibal
5.0 out of 5 stars Night Angels
Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
The book was historical, emotional and sad. I recommend this book to my young friends so they may learn compassion.
Report
MARION LINDSAY
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
Couldn't put it down until finished
Fantastic reading gripping story.
From start until finished book even staying up all night
Report
Kristine Walters
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical novel
Reviewed in Australia on April 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great read with interesting characters. Based on historical events and characters made it interesting. Storyline is moving. A must read.
Report
Mark
4.0 out of 5 stars Night Angels -
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was a free first choice book, which is very different to my normal read. I initially found the book quite challenging to read with flow, due to a lot of foreign words. However, as the book continued it became easier to read. During the book I did Google some of the characters and saw images of Dr Ho and Adolf Eichmann. It was fascinating to read the accounts online about them. This actually made reading the book even more interesting knowing that it was based around true events. I know we have the awful Russia/Ukraine conflict at present, but what happened during the war, especially to the Jews, was awful and reading the book just brings home how lucky we are to have lived in a fairly peaceful world, the majority of the time. It is a well written book. As it is not my usual read, I did find I wasn’t reading it for so long, which meant it took me longer to read in total. 4.25 out of 5 from me.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
Paul mcdonald
4.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner
Reviewed in Australia on March 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the characters and the story.
The story starts in 1938 in Vienna and provides insight into the persecution of the Jews. Then Hitler invades Poland.

“Hitler claims that in Poland, gallows after gallows have been erected to hang the good German people, many Germans are persecuted in a bloody frenzy of terror, and innocent German blood is flowing on the streets of Warsaw.”

I can’t help but see the similarity with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, whereby Putin claims the Russian citizens are being persecuted by the Nazis in Ukraine.

Could this happen today?

Unfortunately I think it could, and maybe already has commenced, only this time it isn’t the Jews being persecuted.
Report