New biography chronicles Isabel Crook's story

Since childhood, Crook had witnessed the Chinese people's poverty and suffering. In particular, she focused on women's living conditions and educational opportunities for underprivileged students.

In their home countries, the Crooks calmly faced misunderstandings harbored by their relatives, friends and audiences, turning down good career offers from prestigious universities.

Even though David Crook was wrongly imprisoned for more than five years and his wife's freedom of movement was restricted for three years during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), the couple didn't leave China and continued their efforts to support the nation's development.

During that difficult time, their babysitter Liu Jinfeng insisted on taking care of the couple's three sons, despite facing a number of difficulties. Liu lived with the family for more than 20 years.

In 2019, when she was 104, Crook returned to Chengdu with her three sons for a three-day visit. She enjoyed an iced lollipop and a beer, later sampling twice-cooked pork with douchi (fermented soybeans).

She and her family revisited a number of places that brought back childhood and teenage memories, including neighboring Bailu town, where the family used to spend summer.

On Sept 29, 2019, when his mother received the Friendship Medal from President Xi Jinping, Michael Crook said his parent felt a degree of sadness that she was the only one still living among her generation of foreign friends that have made a contribution to China's revolution and nation-building.

Shen Zaiwang contributed to this story.