John Espey, 87, Author and Teacher

John Espey, a writer and teacher whose first books were devoted to his childhood in China, died on Sept. 26 in Los Angeles. He was 87.

Mr. Espey, the son of a Presbyterian missionary, was born and raised in Shanghai. He began writing about his youthful experiences in ''Minor Heresies'' (1945), a collection of essays in which he described his trials in a tough neighborhood and his first visit to the United States.

In ''Tales Out of School'' (1947) he wrote about his education at the Kuling American School and his experiences as a member of the Pine Tree Patrol in its version of a Boy Scout troop. More reminiscences followed in ''The Other City'' (1950).

Mr. Espey, a Rhodes scholar, taught English at Occidental College in Los Angeles before joining the faculty at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he was a professor emeritus.

In 1991 he revisited the Far East in ''Strong Drink, Strong Language,'' which was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award. His other books include the novels ''An Observer'' and ''Winter Return.''

Mr. Espey also collaborated with his companion, the novelist Carolyn See, and her daughter Lisa See on a series of books. Published under the pseudonym Monica Highland, they include the novels ''Lotus Land'' and ''110 Shanghai Road.''