Received as a present for my Birthday.

Follow this books journey

For eight groundbreaking years, Xinran presented a radio programme in China during which she invited women to call in and talk about themselves. Broadcast every evening, Words on the Night Breeze became famous throughout the country for its unflinching portrayal of what it meant to be a woman in modern China. Centuries of obedience to their fathers, husbands and sons, followed by years of political turmoil had made women terrified of talking openly about their feelings. Xinran won their trust and, through her compassion and ability to listen, became the first woman to hear their true stories.

Picked up at the meet up in Liquid

RELEASE NOTES:

Taken to the meet

Picked up at Liquid.

An amazing account of the lives of ordinary Chinese women during the second half of the twentieth century. I can't imagine I'll ever forget some of these stories, they are so powerful and touching.

Sending to my 2010 bookobsessed birthday partner as an extra, after-birthday surprise!

Sending to saskiasosmile as part of the wishlist tag game.

This book was offered to me by purple-pixie, travelling together with the Wish List Tag Book The Shadow of the Wind. Thanks so much. From the bit I have heard about it, and what I have already read, leafing through, it is facinating.
Many thanks!

I have now read this amazing book.
Available for others again.

On its way now, to Lamilla who suggested a book trade for this book.

Arrived today. Thank you for the book and the card!

Lamilla very kindly offered The Good Women of China through the "One book a month offered 2017" thread in the RABCK forum and here it landed, in my hands in Delphi, Greece.
Thank you once again Lamilla! And thank you Safrolistics for registering and everyone for keeping it on the move. It seems a very interesting book!

This is a very interesting collection of stories, offering some insight on a quite different culture during past few decades. They are mostly stories told to Xue Xinran while she presented her radio program in Nanjing from 1989 till 1996 or in person on her trips around China or through some other diverse circumstances. And there are a couple of hints of her own life story too.

The book didn't disappoint. Well, the content did actually although I wasn't surprised... I don't know what's more disappointing, reading of patriarch standards, female suppression, love betrayals, forced marriages, rapes, exiles and the like on times of war and extreme political turmoil or hearing of a young woman wondering on the early '90s if she'll get pregnant in case a man holds her hand... Some very sad and moving stories here and lots of food for thought.

Unfortunately this book didn't avoid the usual problems non-fiction books often feature. I feel there has been a stronger editing on some stories than the author claims. I find that on many incidents the author appears too naïve but still somehow lucky, so coincidences work to her favor in order to achieve her purposes, while on other incidents she acts like some sort of super-hero, somehow getting lots of attention and appreciation from the women who open up to her for no apparent reason. Some stories' elements were far too superficial too, while some of Xinran's assumptions about the women's choices and lifestyle were completely wrong. Often I kept wondering on the credibility of the narrator.

Yet, this is a quite foreign culture and way of thinking, so maybe the author is genuine and it's just my own background not allowing me to get how some things work(ed) in China.

A worthwhile read for sure, thank you for sharing!

Released in Athens Backpackers Hostel's lobby. Let's see where this well-traveled book will head next...

Good Luck and don't forget to write home from time to time : )

Fascinating stories that were pretty heartbreaking but gave me a much better understanding of life in China for women especially during the cultural revolution. Given to me by my sister from Alaska.

This book was given to me by a coworker. Important book to read. Looking forward to its next journey. It is starting to fall apart a little