Just found this book in a Charity shop this afternoon. Registering it ready for reading. Plan to read and release. (It is on one of the lists I'm trying to read my way through. I remember my mum reading it years ago. She recomended it to me then & finally I'm getting near to reading it!)

This book was almost too much for me to take in, in one book. So I can't imagine what it was like to actually live through the times described in this book. I really thank Jung Chang for gifting her family's story to the world. It would have taken a lot of courage and strength to review her memories, ask questions and write the answers down in this book. It must have been a very difficult, but perhaps therapeutic process. I think it was so important that she did. I was amazed by the details she was able to find out and include about other peoples lives. (I am bearing in mind the note from the beginning of the he book "The names of members of my family and public figures are real...other personal names are disguised".) I was amazed, shocked, astounded, fascinated and utterly captivated by the extraordinary events I read about. Despite the books chunky size, I feel the author told the story just right. I found the included timeline, family tree and map of China very useful, to help me keep track of what was going on.

I believe the author summed her book up brilliantly herself on page 671:

"I contemplated my twenty-six years. I had experienced privilege as well as denunciation, courage as well as fear, seen kindness and loyalty as well as the depths of human ugliness. Amid suffering, ruin and death, I had above all known love and the indestructible human capacity to survive and pursue happiness."

I think what I am taking from this book is the insight in to life in China, it's culture, traditions and heritage. I'd really love to visit the country one day. I think it would be an amazing experience.

Gave this is to my mummy to re-read.