 Ways That Are Dark is based on its author 's experience of living in China for more than one year . Townsend had worked as a journalist and educator in New York before joining the United States Foreign Service on 16 December 1930 . He served as a vice @-@ consul in Shanghai between 10 December 1931 and 9 January 1932 and then in Fuzhou until 1 March 1933 . The book was released on 10 November 1933 by G. P. Putnam 's Sons . 
