Kai Ying's family live in a shared building with several other families in a village in China during 1958. It used to belong just to her father in law, who is a professor, but with Mao Tse-Tung slowly bringing in Communism, owning large homes is no longer allowed and they must be shared with others. Though Mao had the poetic words in his speech of 1956, "Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend", to encourage intellectuals to suggest how the party could be improved, it was really a rouse to round up anyone they thought would not line up with the party's policies. When Kai Ying's husband is arrested and taken away because he supposedly wrote a letter to the Premier's office, Kai Ying is devastated. She can't figure out why her usually mild mannered husband would put the family in jeopardy like that. When their young son Tao falls from the Kapok tree out front, Kai Ying feels the family is in a free fall themselves. But even in the worst of times, Kai Ying cannot help but reach out to a young pregnant girl she sees in the hospital when visiting Tao. Taking her into their home, Kai Ying cares for her and the new baby even as her father in law wrestles with his own secrets and after finally revealing a devastating one, he disappears one day. How can they all hold it together when everything around them is falling apart?
This is a historical fiction that is both lovely in it's writing and cautionary in it's tale. While there is lots to be read of WWII, I have to say I have not read any historical fiction based on Mao's communist take over of China and this story really opened my eyes. Especially in nowadays seemingly push towards socialism in our society. I was really drawn into the story and it's well written characters. Though the ending didn't satisfy me, I would recommend this story for it's lovely story telling and for the historical significance of what can happen when communism starts to take over and the how they lure the young and the intellectuals. Interesting to note, it was the second book I read, back to back, that had a character named Tao and I had to really focus not to mix up their stories. LOL. How often does that happen? Coincidentally, for me, it was the second time this year!
I gave this book an 8.5/10
Reading Challenge Goal Met for June: A book with an animal on the cover
3 comments:
I am going to be on the lookout for that book. Interesting/troubling period of time for sure. Thanks for the review.
I've seen this book in the library but haven't yet been drawn to take it out. I'm reading one now set in Paris and CA during WW2 and the 1950s from the French perspective. really GOOD novel. I may look for this during the winter.
I love the cover. I don't know if I have read anything from this timeline, either. It sounds very interesting.
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