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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
a really good read — spent a good amount of time with it. a thorough exploration of Mao’s impact on China and the political climate of 20th century China. I was particularly fascinated by Chang’s depiction of the Cultural Revolution. poignant and profoundly tragic at times, and I shed a few tears — the stories contained within this memoir, which span across generations, will definitely stick with me. I appreciated the beautiful descriptions of nature throughout the book, and I definitely learned a lot about Chinese history and politics.
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
While I've read about China in bits and pieces in fiction, this is the first comprehensive nonfiction book I read China's history in the twentieth century as told through a family's harrowing ordeal. What struck me the most is how the shifting political alliances meant that anyone could be an "enemy" at any time. I also came to admire Jung's parents for sticking to their principles even when it meant exile and harsh punishment.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, War
Moderate: Death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Story of three generations of women (grandmother, mother and author) in the 20th Century China. The title refers to the nickname Wild Swans (Chang) that was given to the mother and passed on to her daughters.
This is a downright impressive as document, especially as an illustration of the shocking changes China went through in the 20th century. It's absolutely hallucinatory and horrifying particularly related to the Cultural Revolution. Well written, except for a rather disappointing epilogue.
Perhaps it's not always consistent as a historical source: most historical figures are painted too black and white (the devilish local party leaders Mr. en Mrs. Ting, Zhou Enlai as a good guy that worked for evil, and the good guy Deng Xiao Ping). And in some way the description he author gives of the deeds of her parents is a bit apologetic. But without discussion this is a very valuable testimony to one of the great tragedies of the 20th Century.
This is a downright impressive as document, especially as an illustration of the shocking changes China went through in the 20th century. It's absolutely hallucinatory and horrifying particularly related to the Cultural Revolution. Well written, except for a rather disappointing epilogue.
Perhaps it's not always consistent as a historical source: most historical figures are painted too black and white (the devilish local party leaders Mr. en Mrs. Ting, Zhou Enlai as a good guy that worked for evil, and the good guy Deng Xiao Ping). And in some way the description he author gives of the deeds of her parents is a bit apologetic. But without discussion this is a very valuable testimony to one of the great tragedies of the 20th Century.
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced