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Marvelous and engrossing memoir of a Chinese boy, born in 1962 in Mao's China to a family persecuted for having been educated landowners. As the political tides change, Da-Chen -- with remarkable resilience and inner fortitude -- and the love and support of family and friends -- succeeds beyond all odds in getting an education and escaping his fate. Couldn't put it down.
This is an amazing book. Da Chen writes beautifully, and his story opened my eyes to the effects of the Cultural Revolution and what it was like to live in China at that time. Here was someone who was born about the same time that I was in the U.S., but what a different life he had. When this book first came out, I bought many copies and gave them to friends and family.I just learned he has since written more books, and I can't wait to read them.
A beautiful book narrated by a intense and passionate as well as compassionate man. It is a tale of male friendship and love of family and art and growing into oneself. I recommend it highly.
If you can read this book without shedding a tear or two, you're tougher than most. Wow, this book blew my socks off. I was totally rooting for Da when he was prepping for China's infamous "gaokao" (national college entrance exam). It is just beautifully written. We've all heard Cultural Revolution stories, but this one casts an entirely different light. This is a wonderful and elegant memoir. You can become a fan of Da Chen on Facebook to keep up with his appearances and newest books.
although I've been to China several times, I did not expect to 'love it.' However, the book is simply magical. This book is a wonderful autobiographical portrait of a Chinese boy growing up in rural China during Mao's Cultural Revolution. This is due, to a great extent, to Da Chen's tender and acute use of the English language, his skill as a literary artist. In it, one experiences the shift in personal and private freedoms and their costs to bonds of work, family and friends. I didn't expect to be captured and spellbound by this work - ie. However, it also presents experiences most of us recall - childhood comrades who were fast friends, and those who were bullies, the lessons to be learned and springboards for one's future. I highly recommend this for its tender and intimate portrait of a boy in his family.
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