Purchased from Oz Child Chairty Shop, Highett Road, Highett, VIC, Australia on 4 Feb 2010 for $1

About Xinran:
Xinran Xue was born in Beijing in 1958, and had a successful career in China as a journalist and radio presenter before publishing her first book The Good Women of China, which become an international bestseller. She has since published bestselling novel Sky Burial, a collection of columns, What The Chinese Don't Eat, and her latest novel, Miss Chopsticks (2007).

About the Book:
2002
An unprecedented, intimate account of the lives of modern Chinese women, told by the women themselves -- true stories of the political and personal upheavals they have endured in their chaotic and repressive society

For eight groundbreaking years, Xinran hosted a radio program 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 fear under Communism, 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.

This unforgettable book is the story of how Xinran negotiated the minefield of restrictions imposed on Chinese journalists to reach out to women across the country. Through the vivid intimacy of her writing, these women confide in the reader, sharing their deepest secrets. Whether they are the privileged wives of party leaders or peasants in a forgotten corner of the countryside, they tell of almost inconceivable suffering: forced marriages, sexual abuse, separation of parents from their children, extreme poverty. But they also talk about love -- about how, despite cruelty, despite politics, the urge to nurture and cherish remains. Their stories changed Xinran's understanding of China forever. Her book will reveal the lives of Chinese women to the West as never before.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I realy enjoyed this book. It was very insightful and I found myself thoroughly enjoying it throughout.

Sending on to Prachitulshan as this was one of their choices from ApoloniaX's VBB Contemporary Asian Literature - the final draw.

I hope it is enjoyed, and continues to travel.

This interesting-looking book arrived in my mail a week or two, didn't journal it as I had exams on, still do in fact, but with a longer break. Thanks J4shaw for sending it my way and ApoloniaX for being so generous with the Asian VBB! :)

I finished this book last night...a very moving read. This intense collection of stories recounts tales of women of China from all walks of life. Their stories find a compassionate listener for the first time, and the result is incredible: experiences of suffering, terror, cruelty mixed with that of love and hope pour out. Some of these are unimaginable...China as a society has been unforgivable with its women. I hope the experiences of women there today are very, very different.

This book is on its way to Erishkigal, who picked it for Kalman's 18th Birthday VBB, organised by oliviapoolside. I hope these books keep Kalman's memory alive. I found this a very good read, enjoy!

it has arrived safely in Utah, prachi~~and it looks wonderful! Thanks so much for offering this Kalman's Birthday box :)

and thank you for the beautiful postcards, p!

I am currently reading (finally, sorry) and very much enjoying this book. So much so that I'm going to put it as one of my offers in a nonfiction vbb.

I absolutely loved this book! This book touched me one so many levels, in ways I can't explain. I felt that the women's stories of what it was like to live under Mao, to live through during the Cultural Revolution, were told simply, honestly, sincerely, without artifice, and because of that, reached deeply into my being.

Thank you both for sending this book forward, so that I had the opportunity to be touched by it! I shall now do likewise.

Offered this on a non-fiction vbb, it was chosen, but I've been slow to get it on it's way~~ my apologies. After driving around with it for weeks, I finally made it to the PO before closing :)

Arrived safely.

I loved this book. The experiences are so foreign to anything I've encountered and yet it's totally believable and so moving. Very thought provoking. I recommend it.

Offering on General Literature VBB. It will be travelling soon as it's too good to miss.