This is my all-time favorite book. Jung Chang takes the reader through generations of her family from her grandmother who had no name, her grandmother with bound feet, her professional father, her life in the Red Guard and her move to a new life. She is thorough, a skilled writer, passionate, and a woman with an incredible story. ( )

I liked the book and was pleased to learn so much about China under Mao. It was not a page turner, though, more of a history lesson, but still I am happier for having read it. Personal details that would be interesting are left out, like her relationship with Jon Halliday and other possible boyfriends in China and if she has children and more about her smart eldest brother, i.e. the really personal things instead of just a description of all the bad things that happened to people under Mao. And still even with all her attempted explanations I have trouble understanding how a billion people could be brainwashed so completely by a hypocritical fat little peasant like Mao. ( )

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm just starting to undertake a serious study of China and WILD SWANS introduces Chinese history, from the mid 1910s to the early 1980s, in a clear, welcoming format that keeps the reader engrossed in the main characters' life of pain, suffering, and torment. The presentation of the history of the Kuomingdang/Communist battles, Great Leap Forward (steel production period), all the purges, Cultural Revolution (remember the Red Guards?), etc., was written from the viewpoint of the author, Ms. Chang, who witnessed the above events first hand. Her mother, father, grandmother, and other family members all suffered tremendously. At the age of 26, after almost three decades of extreme hardship, Ms. Chang was able to leave the country on a scholarship to Britian, the first Mainland Chinese to leave Sichuan province (90 million people) since 1949.

I loved this book and would definitely read it again. I was particularly impressed with the father's moral and unyielding character. He was a committed Communist to the core who refused corruption and the chance to save his own life if such action meant harming others--and he paid tremendously for taking the moral high ground.

Impressive book. Five stars. 9-14-09 ( )

I was assigned to read this book for my English class during our World History year. I usually loved what was assigned to me the four years of high school, but for some reason, I was skeptical about this book. It was thick and heavy and, because I was undergoing treatment for cancer my senior year, I was actually a little mad at my english teacher for assigning it to me. But I am incredibly glad he did. This book kept me engrossed for an entire month with its captivating story and amazing characters. . . I was literally upset when I finished it. I wanted it to go on. I've read it again twice since and recommended it to friends about 4 times (they all liked it as well). I'm not usually one for historical novels, but this was a major exception. My teacher actually let me keep this book and I'm glad for it! ( )

History is not a big reading interest of mine but I'm glad I made an exception in this case. This is such an interesting view of life in China during the major upheaval of Japanese occupation, the beginnings of Communist China, the insanity of Mao's Cultural Revolution, and the more modern expansion of freedoms. I learned so much about China that I hadn't known previously and the personal narrative of the author, based on the experiences of her family was inspiring and heartbreaking. I highly recommend this book. ( )