Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China
 

Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China

by Jung Chang

In Wild Swans Jung Chang recounts the evocative, unsettling, and insistently gripping story of how three generations of women in her family fared in the political maelstrom of China during the 20th century. Chang's grandmother was a warlord's concubine. Her gently raised mother struggled with hardships in the early days of Mao's revolution and rose, like her husband, to a prominent position... (read more)

Top tags: chinamemoirnon-fictionhistorybiography (all tags)

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Danielle C.
  • Rated 5 stars

I loved this book. A Story of 3 generations of chinese women and their personal family struggles through the uprise of communism in China and beyond. Heartbreaking but so interesting I didn't want to put it down. This gave me a different view on communism and you could understand how initially it seemed so much better than the corrupt political system at the time, until as political parties go on their rise to power it gets corrupt as well. Very interesting book!

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Community:
  • Rated 4.254546 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.5 stars
 

Newest Comments

  • Lea D

    lea d said:

    This is an extraordinary account of three women in the author's family - her grandmother, her mother and herself. For those who have wanted to being to understand the socio-political history of China, especially during the 20th century, this is a terrific read - combines history with family biography, which is a wonderful way to learn historical events from those who experienced it. It's a 'heavy' book - both in weight and in content - but I did not find it heavy to read. Indeed, it was gripping, and beautifully written. Jung Chang is a gifted writer.

    posted Friday, March 14 2008
  • Catherine H

    catherine h said:

    Absolutely fantastic book. I have read it three times now and each time I got something different out of it. A must read.

    posted Tuesday, January 29 2008
  • Maria Joanne

    maria joanne said:

    Absolutely beautifully written I couldn't put it down. It was heartbreaking, beautiful, joyful and inspiring.

    posted Friday, December 21 2007
  • Gabor F

    gabor f said:

    I didn't read the book, but it seams very interesting, especially how the Chinese people lived in the communist era. I live in Romania, and although I was born after the revolution, my parents and teachers told me stories about how difficult it was living under the rule of Ceausescu, the communist dictator, but I heard that the Chinese communism was even harsher...

    posted Monday, October 29 2007
  • shiwanijuneja

    shiwanijuneja said:

    An amazing book...stays with you for a while...a looong while... tells you exactly what it took china to be where it is now!

    posted Tuesday, September 18 2007
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