The author has lived in Britain since becoming one of the first Chinese students to get a doctorate at a British university since before the communist takeover in 1949. This is an epic personal story of life in China over much of the 20th century, told through the stories of three generations of women in one family. What I thought was especially fascinating was to see how the author changes from idealistic Communist filled with pride and love for Chairman Mao to disillusionment as she discovers the political corruption of the party, resulting in the deaths and destruction of millions of Chinese.Excellent writing and excellent story. We see the transformation of the country and the drastic change to the lives of Chinese people at all levels. But their lives are filled with turmoil as the country goes through the Great Leap Forward and the devastating Cultural Revolution. The story then follows her mother who grows up during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and becomes a very powerful member of the Communist Party. The book starts with Jung Chang's grandmother, who hyad her feet bound and as a beautiful young woman, made a very fortunate match as the concubine yof a general. Their lives cover a very turbulent time period in China's history and it's fascinating to see the difference in choices and the huge changes going on in China. This memoir recounts the story of three generations of Chinese women, the author, her mother, and her grandmother.
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