Read this when
Wild Swans
A grandmother with bound feet. A mother who believed in the revolution. A daughter who didn't. If you've ever wondered where your family's fears come from. 🦢
Who it's for
Jung Chang tells the lives of her grandmother (a concubine to a warlord general, with bound feet), her mother (a committed Communist official) and herself (a teenage Red Guard who became disillusioned), across China's twentieth century.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Jung Chang's 1991 family memoir tells the stories of three generations of Chinese women across the twentieth century. Her grandmother had bound feet and became a concubine to a warlord before gaining her freedom; her mother rose through the ranks of the Communist Party as a dedicated revolutionary; and Jung herself took part in the Cultural Revolution before her father became a political target and was persecuted.
Where to find it
In print (Simon & Schuster/Touchstone in the US, William Collins in the UK); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. Banned in mainland China.
Before you start
Heads up: Suicides under persecution; torture.
Age: Ages 16+
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Part 1, Chapter 1 (tr. Constance Garnett)
