This is a remarkable and exciting book, filled with episodes of adventure, intrigue, crime, unspeakable cruelty and violence. For the medical reader there is much description of disease, addiction and appalling poverty. There are vivid descriptions of court cases and prison life. Chasing the Dragon is also a chronicle of the amazing work of the Holy Spirit in healing bodies, teaching minds, saving souls and changing the lives of individuals, communities and deprived and depraved societies.

This book is the thirty year story of a young English woman, Jackie Pullinger, who was led by God to Hong Kong and its infamous Walled City and who, despite many difficulties, discouragements and set-backs, was and is the conduit for an amazing work of the Holy Spirit in spreading faith in Jesus to drug addicts, prostitutes, pimps, pushers and Triad gang leaders. The reader is enthralled by the wonderful stories of Goko, Winson, Geui Jai, Johnny and many others who have been brought to Christ, sometimes instantly with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and sometimes after much delay.

The book includes many cases where heroin addiction was instantly 'cured' without withdrawal symptoms, but with the addict immediately praying confidently in tongues and often receiving knowledge of Jesus despite barriers of language and literacy. Such accounts are a challenge to those of us working with addicts on a daily basis and who long to see such 'miraculous' cures, yet only occasionally do so. There is, however, running through this challenging book, a down to earth sense that a mission such as Jackie Pullinger's is not one of quick fixes by a God who is putting on a show for visiting (short term) missionaries. It is, rather, an account of long haul work for the Kingdom where, despite many disappointments and apparent failures, faith and an almost naïve trust and complete reliance on the Holy Spirit's power push back the influence of evil and deprivation.

Having read the first edition about 18 years ago and been enthralled, I can say only that the second edition with two new chapters to bring us up to date is even better. Go get it!

Reviewed by:
John Latham
Inner City General Practitioner in Dublin