The Sand Pebbles

In 1926, engineer Jake Holman finds himself aboard the USS San Pablo, a naval vessel patrolling the turbulent waters of a Yangtze River tributary in China, a country ravaged by exploitation and revolution. Jake's unconventional thinking quickly puts him at odds with the 'rice-bowl' system that governs the ship, a delicate balance between Chinese and foreign crew members navigating their shared space. As tensions escalate, the gunboat is tasked with an explosive rescue mission to save stranded missionaries upriver at China Light Mission, trapped behind a treacherous river-boom. Amidst the chaos, Jake must navigate the complex social dynamics onboard while grappling with the deeper political and moral issues that surround their presence in this divided land.