The Sand Pebbles

Overview

In 1926 China, engineer Jake Holman joins the crew of the USS San Pablo, a gunboat tasked with patrolling a turbulent tributary of the Yangtze amidst political upheaval. Holman's rebellious spirit and skepticism challenge the entrenched 'rice-bowl' culture aboard the vessel, highlighting the complex and often strained interactions between the Chinese locals and foreign powers. Tensions escalate dramatically when the crew is compelled to break through a river boom to save stranded missionaries at the China Light Mission, forcing them to confront the realities of their presence in a land rife with conflict.