Comments (20)

Wild Swans

Three Daughters of China
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Jul 30, 2022sheba9898 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Written in such a graphic, honest way that could only be accomplished by one who has actually lived and suffered through it. Unspeakable hardships, discrimination, arbitrary governmental abuses, forced labor with primitive means, REAL…
Mar 21, 2022SuzetteCM rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books of all time. I have read this book several times as it has too much to absorb in one reading. It is very well written and tells the little known history of China through the lives of those who lived it. A must read…
Feb 10, 2022rmf55 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book opened my eyes and I am thankful for that. What hard times those poor people endured. A really good read.
Sep 24, 2020bordiaradha rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Eye opener about the life in China since the monarchy. The author beautifully makes us understand what communism is and what it does. It was unputdownble for me.
Jun 06, 2020mlhadley1 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Captivating following 3 generations thru beginning of Communism. How EVERYone was watched in the entire nation.
May 11, 2020cimR rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The first part of the book is slow and difficult. The author speaks of Grandmother, mother, daughter, grandfather, father, son, stepfather in all mixed up perspectives of the speaker. For someone who does not know english well it will be…
Mar 27, 2020julia_sedai rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Incredible book about the author's family living in China during most of the 1900s. Each generation experienced a lot of suffering and repression. Some parts are very depressing, others show that even in times of extreme hardship there can…
Jan 27, 2020lukasevansherman rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
"Father is Close, Mother is Close, but Neither Is as Close as Chairman Mao."-Communist slogan A sweeping, novelistic multi-generational story of life in 20th century China. Jung Chang traces her family history against the backdrop of…
Jan 09, 2020
This will be my second time reading this book. I read it after seeing a documentary about it many years ago. It was excellent and very informative read the first time around. Looking forward to reading it again and recommending to my…
Dec 06, 20195sharekcls rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An excellent read. Greta Thunberg “People are underestimating the force of angry kids,” (Mao didn’t)
Aug 23, 2016conniedaugherty rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is a fascinating history of 20th century China through the lives of three women, Jung Chang, her mother, and her grandmother. Of course it only tells their perspectives, but all are glimpses of China I have never seen so clearly. If…
Apr 24, 2015Eil_1 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I just read this incredible history of China during the past century. The adjectives of "interesting" and "amazing" are so undeserving of this saga of these women mired in the access to power by Mao, and the horrific abuse of power by…
May 12, 2014
From turn of the century China through the 1980's Chang traces 3 generations of women. Her grandmother born in 1907 was a concubine as a young girl, her mother was a Communist party member and official, and she was a member of the Red…
OhioEngineer
Sep 07, 2013OhioEngineer rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a great book. It is both a very interesting story and a timely account of what can happen when an all powerful government takes over the lives of a people. As China emerges as a world power this should be required reading for…
Jun 08, 2013squinton rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A very interesting story. It really made me appreciate the freedom we enjoy here in Canada. If you're looking for a first-hand account of recent Chinese history this is a great book to turn to.
Mar 06, 2013d2013 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Gripping story of 3 generations of women during the Mao era. A good read.
sunny143
Aug 05, 2012sunny143 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A very interesting look at China's history ad told through the experiences of one family. Unfortunately the author's writing is very dry so it feels like you are plodding through some terrible chore. I am not disappointed that I read the…
prkmbc
Sep 10, 2011
January 2007
Jan 20, 2011
The history of China during the Mao era
Sep 07, 2010lisastitch rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A fascinating look at three generations of Chinese women, from Chang's grandmother with bound feet who was a warlord's concubine; her mother, who was an active Communist but suffered under the Cultural Revolution, to the author herself,…