In the 1930s and 1940s, countless German Jews fled overseas to escape the Nazi regime. Despite the ongoing Sino-Japanese War, many of them chose to emigrate to Shanghai, an open port with few restrictions on entry. Integrated into this overlooked corner of history, the plot of In Strange Lands spans one century, two continents, and three countries: Germany, China, and Taiwan. From Nazi extermination campaigns, to World War II and the Chinese Civil War, to the Coronavirus pandemic, one family relies on personal resilience and international friendships to survive as they are driven before the storm winds of history.