A review by alexanderjamie
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

An inter-generational saga, starting with the May Fourth generation and ending with the Tiananmen Square generation, covering the period between 1940 and 1989. The story centers around a family of musicians - the bourgeoisie in an emerging communist society - and centers around the relationship between the people and the party. It covers events such as the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tiananmen Square Massacre in vivid on the ground detail. I love intergenerational stories which incorporate history and politics and so I really loved this book. The part that takes place in the modern day felt like it could have been better elaborated on - feeling like short intermissions rather than its own part of the story. I’m not a classical music person so I was a bit confused by mentions of Bach and the like. Nonetheless, as a whole, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.