A Letter From the Publisher: Aug. 1, 1988

Our articles are a bit like letters to the world, and sometimes the world writes back. A year ago, TIME published excerpts from the best-selling book Life and Death in Shanghai, the gripping account of Author Nien Cheng's ordeal during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. When Cheng, who now lives in Washington, opened her mailbox a few weeks ago, she found a package of some 50 letters from sixth-graders in Alberta, Canada, who were deeply moved by her story. They wrote after Teacher Loretta Hofmann used TIME's excerpts last semester in a history course on China at Airdrie Elementary School near Calgary.