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My mom, AceofHearts, passed away from breast cancer in September, 2013. Aside from being one of the best people I know, she was an avid reader and took immense pleasure in Bookcrossing, her book club, and reading many great books. Unfortunately she didn't get around to reading this book.
We had similar tastes in books and would share them whenever we read something we enjoyed. This book sounds interesting so I'm going to keep it to read.

Xinran is a radio show host that talks about women's issues. This gives her access to women all over China to hear their stories because they trust her and it's easy to open up to her. As China "opens up" following the revolution, women are finally able to speak about their stories. Xinran tells us these women's stories, as it seems that even in the 90s, China still wasn't quite ready for them. These stories include tales of rape and abuse. The Red Guard takes away parents who don't believe in Communism, an earthquake destroys a village, a child keeps a fly as a pet while she's in the hospital. Each story is unique and each has the ability to break your heart.

I was in shock while reading some of these stories. These women have been through so much pain and they each deal with it in completely different ways. The flow of the book was exceptional, with Xinran explaining how she met these women and a bit about her radio program. Each story relates slightly to the next which helps the reader go from one to the next.

We even get a brief glimpse in to Xinran's past, though I would have liked a bit more. This book will stay with me for a long time.

This book is a translation but reads like it was written in English. The translator deserves an applause for such a great job.

your wonderful birthday gift made it here safely and made me smile. This book is one that I read earlier this spring as part of a book ray. It was wonderfully written and gave such a shocking and sad look into the lives of women from all classes during the Chinese cultural revolution. I was glad that the copy I read was a commute book as it allowed me to focus on one story at a time.

Thank you for sharing this copy with me. It is a book that I believe is worth reading as hard as some of the stories shared are to read. It gives such a personal insight into the events of the revolution and how women were treated then as well as in the early 90's when the book was written. It is moving and thought provoking.

I am glad to be able to share one of your mom's books with the world Lauren. I miss reading her reviews and comments in the book obsessed boards. It's hard to believe she's been gone for almost three years now.

Left propped up on a ledge in the ladies washroom.