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Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China Audiobook
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(4.00) - 28,939 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The story of three generations in twentieth-century China that blends the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history—a bestselling classic in thirty languages with more than ten million copies sold around the world, now with a new introduction from the author.
An engrossing record of Mao’s impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love, Jung Chang describes the extraordinary lives and experiences of her family members: her grandmother, a warlord’s concubine; her mother’s struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents’ experience as members of the Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution.
Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen, then worked as a peasant, a “barefoot doctor,” a steelworker, and an electrician. As the story of each generation unfolds, Chang captures in gripping, moving—and ultimately uplifting—detail the cycles of violent drama visited on her own family and millions of others caught in the whirlwind of history.
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"Wow. . . eye-opening and extremely informative book about everyday life in China during Mao's reign. It was hard to stick with in parts that were detailed and political, but definitely raised some questions I want to pursue now on life in a Communist country. It makes me love our country and be so very thankful for the freedoms we have. She wrote about a period where it was considered "bourgeois and extravagant" to have a lawn and flowers. Schoolchildren were commanded to help lift the sod up around the school and destroy the flowers. Beauty was something that became shameful to own. UUUGggghhh. . . I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills, I love the flowers, I love the daffodils!!!"
— Mikki (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“An inspiring tale of women who survived every kind of hardship, deprivation, and political upheaval with their humanity intact.”
— Hillary Clinton, O, The Oprah Magazine -
“Her family chronicle resembles a popular novel that stars strong, beautiful women and provides cameo roles for famous men…But Wild Swans is no romance. It’s a story…about the survival of a Chinese family through a century of disaster.”
— New Yorker -
“A mesmerizing memoir.”
— Time -
“This real-life saga of a Chinese family over three generations contains more violence than any film noir, more heartrending tragedy than Little Dorrit…There has never been a book like this.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Wild Swans is riveting. It’s blindingly good: a mad adventure story, a fairy tale of courage, and a tale of atrocities. You can’t, as they say, put it down.”
— Newsday
Wild Swans Listener Reviews
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Declan Monaghan, 7/28/2021
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serjmaa bavuudorj, 2/6/2021
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Joyce Taylor, 11/25/2018
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Scottie Howard, 2/22/2016
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Astrid Haddock , 5/16/2015
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" Fascinating true story told from the perspective of three generations of women living in China since about 1900 to present day showing the years of political dysfunction in China and how it affected everyday life. The mother of the author was a young idealistic communist who felt she was part of something wonderful for her country and slowly became disillusioned and persecuted. I haven't read much from a communist perspective of how crazy things were during the Cultural Revolution. "
— Melanie, 2/14/2014 -
" Best book I have ever read "
— Jane, 2/3/2014 -
" One of my all time favourites "
— Henk, 2/1/2014 -
" A must-read for anyone interested in China's incredible history. Heartbreak, family loyalty, trust, lies, propaganda, government-induced anarchy and a whole lot more. "
— Rae, 1/25/2014 -
" This is the first book I recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about China and Chinese history. "
— Angelyn, 1/24/2014 -
" My idea of a thorough historical memoir that allows you to learn history through family. "
— Helen, 1/13/2014 -
" This is a very interesting account of the author's family living in China. I just don't have the energy to finish it right now. "
— Kris, 1/13/2014 -
" It's amazing to have lived through that era and not been aware of any of the atrocities in china. A tragic and enlightening read! "
— Jackballoon, 12/28/2013 -
" heavy reading. interesting and historical. "
— Fran, 11/25/2013 -
" Such a great book - very well written. True stories covering three generations in China from foot binding thru the Cultural Revolution. "
— Cami, 11/13/2013 -
" An amazing book about three generations of women in China. Great read and it flips through quickly. "
— Krystal, 10/16/2013 -
" Great book about China. This book gives you an insiders taste of Chinese history through the eyes of a family. "
— Kristi, 9/10/2013 -
" Just perfect. One of my top 5 books of all time :) "
— Sarah, 9/1/2013 -
" Wew, buku yang sangat bagus, menceritakan dari dalam kehidupan di Cina dari masa kerajaan, Kuomintang, Komunis.. "
— Abdul, 4/21/2013 -
" Great story of Chinese women's place in history especially during the Cultural Revolution. "
— Hummingbird, 4/4/2013 -
" By far THE BEST BOOK i have ever read in my entire life. It is told in such detail, and it leaves you addicted to it. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the chinese communism/ mao ze dong era. "
— Alisha, 6/29/2012 -
" When you first start reading this it is hard to put the book down before you get to the last page. "
— Inger-marie, 5/9/2012
About Jung Chang
Jung Chang, PhD, was born in Yibin, part of the Sichuan Province of China, where she worked as an assistant lecturer at Sichuan University. Eventually leaving China for England, she obtained a PhD in linguistics from York University, becoming the first person from the People’s Republic of China to receive a doctorate from a British university. She is now an award-winning author and biographer and lives in London.
About Joy Osmanski
Joy Osmanski, theater, television, and film actress, is an award-winning audiobook narrator who has won three AudioFile Earphones Awards. She graduated from Principia College with a degree in creative writing and received her MFA from UC San Diego.