Desert Rose

Registered by mystic-nz of Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on 11/10/2004
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8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by mystic-nz from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Wednesday, November 10, 2004
From the back cover " Weijun Collins is born into an educated, high-ranking chinese family. Her life changes dramatically when her father is denounced as an enemy of the communist part. Shunned by friends and teachers, her school days are crowed with cruelties and humiliations - home life is a bitter struggle for survival. The "crime" of her father eventually rebounds on the family and weijun is forced to labour in the Gobi Desert for ten years.
Enduring sub zero temperatures with little fod and sleeping in a cramped cave at night, Weijun holds on tenaciously to her dream of a better life. She struggles to teach herself English with forbidden books and devises a plan of escape. An unhappy marriage produces two precious daughters; a scandalous love affair produces more misery and family disgrace. But Weijun's resilience never falters.
The betrayals and treachery of the culturual revolution are vividly portrayed in this intimate and inspiring story"

Journal Entry 2 by mystic-nz from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, November 15, 2004
I am offering this book as a "Book Ring". The mailing list so far is:

1. Sherlockfan (NZ)- it's been here
2. Boreal (NZ)- it's been here
3. Robert-Walker(UK) - and here
4. affinity4books (USA)- read
5. Hotflash (USA)- read
6. MeganH (AUST)- wow it's made it to Oz
7. Libragirl(NZ)

Back to me - Mystic-NZ (NZ)

General Book Ring Rules:

1. When you receive the book, make a journal entry so we all get the thrill of knowing where it's at.

2. Send a private message (PM) to the next person in line for their address. If they do not respond within three days, PM them again. If they do not respond within a week of your first message, PM the person after them and contact me.

3. Read the book, within 30 days, and make a journal entry to tell us what you have thought about the book. You can be as brief or as lengthy as you wish with your thoughts about the book.

Please remember, that there are many anxious readers patiently waiting to read the book after you. Please bear this in mind! If you tend to be a slow reader, like myself, and need the month to finish the book, please make a periodic journal entry indicating how far you are into the story, or thoughts about what you have read so far. This way we know that the book has not been forgotten in your ‘to-be-read’ pile.

4. When you are ready to send the book to the next person in line, make release notes/a journal entry to say when the book is leaving your hands and who'll be catching it next, and pop it into the post!

5. To the last person on the list: Please PM me and I will send you my mailing address:)

Thank you for participating!

***When you receive a PM from the person before you, letting you know that you are next in line, and you find yourself overwhelmed with book commitments,(or just life in general) Please PM me and I may be able to move you further down the list.

Regards
Mystic-NZ

Journal Entry 3 by mystic-nz from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Monday, November 22, 2004
Man - what a life some people have lead. The strength and character of Mary Weijun Collins is absolutely inspiring. How many more amazing people like Mary are out in this world?

Sending off on a journey around the world now. I hope many more find this inspiring.

Released on Monday, November 22, 2004 at about 1:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at New Zealand Post in posted to another bookcrosser, Wellington New Zealand.

RELEASE NOTES:

Starting off the BookRing by sending to Sherlockfan in Wellington, NZ

Journal Entry 5 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Well, that was a pretty fast trip. It is only Wednesday and the book is here already. When we returned from 11 days away there were 4 books waiting in the Post Office, and I could resist buying a few while away but as this is the only one with someone waiting I'll read it first and post on to Boreal as soon as finished - after making a journal entry, of course.

Journal Entry 6 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Sunday, November 28, 2004
Wow! What a heroine! Would that we all had her grit and determination. I would so love to meet Weijun. This is a book that will linger long in my mind not only for the courage shown against what would be overwhelming odds to most people but for the insight into life under Chairman Mao.
I've learned such a lot about that previously very secret period in China's history. Despite so many thousands or millions of deaths the human spirit is so well portrayed herein.
The writer had such a fine ability to sometimes see magic and mystery in arid desert conditions and to portray them in such a vivid way that you could almost feel you were there while at the same time knowing that in a million years you would not wish to have had the same experiences.
It would be very interesting to learn of the lives of Enya and Nini as they journey through life. They will have inherited much of their mother's fortitude.
I'll be watching with interest for future journal entries as this book continues on its travels. I wonder if the book will arrive in the hands of someone who will draw Mary Weijin Collins' attention to this page so she will be able to see what an impression she is making. Perhaps she knows already.
A first class book.

LATER, much later.
I've since met Weijun, at first when she was on a speaking trip to Wellington last year and again just recently when I had the privilege of introducing her as guest speaker at the 2006 BCNZ convention in Dunedin. She 'wow-ed' them all, just as she did me firstly through her book and then in person. I'm proud to call Weijun my friend.

Journal Entry 7 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Sunday, November 28, 2004
Posting Desert Rose on to Boreal today, Monday 29 Nov.
Please Boreal write a nice long journal entry when you've read it.

Journal Entry 8 by boreal from Dunedin, Otago New Zealand on Thursday, December 2, 2004
Thanks Sherlockfan and Mystic-NZ this arrived here today on a very windy Thursday -much like Wellington I would imagine- I will start on it as soon as I have finished my current book.
It certainly sounds like it will be a fascinating read, and I will do my best to make a long journal entry when I am done.

Journal Entry 9 by boreal from Dunedin, Otago New Zealand on Saturday, December 4, 2004
What an inspirational woman Weijun is! I really enjoyed this though the start was a little slow as were some of the closing chapters -the ones about her chasing money for example.
I learnt so much about this period of Chinese history, although I have read similar books previously, this one opened my eyes to the hardship faced by the "black" chinese families.Her story of life in the desert was particularly interesting. I felt a bit uncomfortable about her romantic involvment with Field, but it was something that would have caused scandal anywhere in the world.
The proverb that starts chapter nineteen really sums up Weijun's nature Success is the side product of perseverance also the fact she found that kindness reaps rewards. The back cover of the book is wrong by the way -her children were the product of two unhappy marriages not one.
In general a book well worth the read.

Journal Entry 10 by boreal at on Monday, December 6, 2004

Released 19 yrs ago (12/5/2004 UTC) at

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Posted to Robert-walker in the UK on Monday morning, economy mail.
Enjoy!

Journal Entry 11 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Recieved this book this morning, i'm getting snowed under with rings, but i will follow the rules and i will get this read within 30 days, it looks like something i could get through pretty quick.
Thanks boreal for mailing it on to me and to mystic-nz for including me in the ring.

Journal Entry 12 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, February 4, 2005
I really enjoyed reading this. It gave me a liitle more insight into life under Chairman Mao, i had never understood just how bad conditions were in China, this book opened my eyes. What a hard life Mary Weijun had to live just because her family were deemed a 'black family', and how cruel was this regime that turned people against each other, friends and family alike. Yet Mary remained strong in the face of ridicule and hardship and she strived to be a friend and helper to everyone she met. She did seem to fall in love a little to easy, but that is quite understandable i guess as she the love she felt fot these men drove her forward, gave her something to believe in, yet these men would often let her down.
The book did end a little to quick for me, i would have been interested to know her thoughts as she visited places in the western world, New Zealand seemed a little to laid back for her as she like the hustle and bustle of the big cities, so i wonder what she made of America, England, and her trip to Paris? and like another reader said before me, it would be interesting to know her two daughters accounts of the life they led as young girls.
A book well worth reading, it will be on its way to the next reader tomorrow morning.

Journal Entry 13 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 5, 2005
This book is now making it's way over to affinity4books in the USA

Journal Entry 14 by affinity4books from Bryan, Texas USA on Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Thanks for the beautiful postcard- I'd love to visit the UK again someday... I am looking forward to this one since I have read Balzac and the CHinese Seamstress and Red Azalea, both about the CUltural Revolution, in the past year. I'd love another perspective on a time in history my education did not cover. I have one bookring ahead of this.

Journal Entry 15 by affinity4books from Bryan, Texas USA on Sunday, March 13, 2005
Wow, I couldn't believe everything she went through in her life! I thought the book was not over-edited and preserved the author's true voice- It felt like she was sitting with me and telling me about her life.... There were many times that I was curious about how she met someone or a little confused about circumstances, such as how she got involved with Rich. Overall this was an inspirational and very interesting account of the many trials of her life. Like someone else mentioned, some of the ending and beginning were slow. The desert years and her perseverence at tracking down positions as a teacher were my favorite parts. I also enjoyed the romance with Field and was always worried that they would get caught... I couldn't believe that that relationship ended up the way it did. Thanks so much for sharing this book, I don't think it is widely available in the U. S.

Will be mailed this week.

Journal Entry 16 by affinity4books at on Friday, March 18, 2005

Released 19 yrs ago (3/18/2005 UTC) at

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mailed to hotflash

Journal Entry 17 by LynnWrites from Tucson, Arizona USA on Friday, March 25, 2005
Just received today (March 25). Been looking forward to this one. Wills start on it this evening. Thanks.

Journal Entry 18 by LynnWrites from Tucson, Arizona USA on Sunday, April 10, 2005
My first thoughts, when I began reading this book, are echoed in the journal entry made by affinity4books: the voice of Weijun rang true. I agree completely. The writing style of this book is very Chinese in expression and reads more like a dictated translation than a novel. This I liked very much.

This book has been well-journaled by previous readers, and I don’t want to just repeat what others have said in their journal entries; instead I will just note a few random thoughts.

I was entranced by Wiejen’s ability to see beauty wherever she found herself, be it the rhythm of movement in manual work or the sun glinting off a rock in the Gobi desert. This enabled her to find joy in life under any circumstances. This was her strength. I also respected her stubbornness and amazing tenacity in situations where most of us would have just given up. However, as her story unfolded I became a bit impatient with her naiveté, and I found her to be just a bit too superficial and too enchanted with herself, particularly her looks. I was wondering if I was totally off-base until, about halfway through the book, I read Weijun’s description of herself changing from a “shallow-minded, vain, young woman into a mature person with an independent mind”. Yes ! I was also surprised by the number of men that passed through her life and also by her injured feelings when others judged her harshly because of this. By Chinese standards she was promiscuous (no judgment meant here, just stating facts). This should not have been a surprise to her because she understood her own culture well. Again, she displayed the annoying naiveté and the slightly superior attitude of entitlement; i.e., the rules were not meant for her. This is most likely a result of being born into the more educated, wealthier (pre-Mao) class.

My fascination with China,, especially from the time of the Boxer Rebellion through to the final days of Chairman Mao's regime, has been fed with each book I have read on this subject and, in each one, something new has been revealed. One of the most fascinating statements in this particular book was on page 29, where Weijun discusses the unpopularity of reading in China. She says that “as a feudalist country confined by a rigid mindset, China had been a country of talking and listening”. She further states that “Anybody who used his own mind to provoke new ideas committed the sin of fan shang, disrespect of the higher. This paragraph describes the mindset that has been both the strength and weakness of the Chinese people. Their gift of being able to survive the political shifts in their country is rooted in their tradition of accepting, of bending, of acquiescing, and following rules and not (openly) questioning their superiors; it also explains how the nightmare of the Red Guard ever came into being. Not just the insanity of the institution of the Red Guard, but that the adults in China allowed the rampage to continue. No where else in the world have young people, children really, been given free rein to terrorize and destroy. This was a phenomenon peculiar to China.

As I read about life in the Gobi desert--digging holes in which to live, the extremes of temperature, the lack of clothing and food, the oppressive manual work, the agony of bureaucratic red tape tangling up every single move in life, the paranoia, the mistrust--I thanked the Gods for being born in a free country and reminded myself not to take forgranted the right to read what I want, to live where I want, to work where I chose, and to speak my mind freely.

For everyone who enjoyed this book, you might want to also read (if you haven’t already): Daughter of China by Meihong Xu & Larry Engleman, Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min, and Peking Story by David Kidd.

Thanks so much to mystic-nz for sending this book around the world. This is one I hadn't even seen in a bookstore here, so I might have missed it without your generousity.

I will pop the book in the post on Tuesday, April 12. It's off to MeganH in Australia.


Journal Entry 19 by wingmeganhwing from Preston, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Received in the mail from hotflash yesterday. Hope I can keep to the 30 day schedule as I have 5 bookrings ahead of it. What wonderful journal entries you all have made and I note everyone has rated the book 9 or 10 stars - WOW! I look forward to reading this.

Journal Entry 20 by wingmeganhwing from Preston, Victoria Australia on Saturday, July 16, 2005
Firstly, my apologies to all for holding this book so long. When I finally sat down to read it, I managed to read it in less than a (busy) week.
I was quite amazed to hear Weijun's story. We all knew of the deprivation suffered during Mao's reign but I was unaware of how bad it really was for the "black" families. What a terrible life they had to lead with scarcely even a roof over their heads and the limited supply and choices of foods.
The time that Weijin spent in the Gobi Desert was very interesting and this was when her character seemed to fully develop. She was very strong-willed and managed to survive and become a leading worker during that time.
Like others, I did find her many changes of partners, specially her relationship with Field quite scandalous. To have a relationship with someone who was your student would put you in prison in Australia - and there have been a few cases of this here over the last 12 months. I found it hard to believe that she took such risks in Communist China.
Overall, the book was well written and the story well told.
Thank you for sharing. The book will now be on it's way back to New Zealand to Libragirl when I get her address.

Journal Entry 21 by libragirl from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, July 23, 2005
Received this book yesterday

Journal Entry 22 by mystic-nz from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Thursday, August 25, 2005
This has been around the world and now I am releasing it to one of my NZ bookclub friends.

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