Smeared Type

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I read Mulberry Child, a Memoir of China by Jian Ping. Jian Ping is a former business colleague and friend, with whom I shared the writing experience, working on my novel at the same time as she was working on her Memoir.

Her creative talent and advice was of great assistance, and I hope that similarly I was able to give her the necessary support for her to finish her project.

Mulberry Child is the heart-wrenching true story of a childhood in Communist China. Jian Ping is the daughter of a high-ranking government official in the rural northeast of the country, growing up at a time of famine and political upheaval in the 1960s. Jian Ping’s innocent childhood comes to an abrupt end when the Cultural Revolution—a power struggle within the ruling party—engulfs the country like a wildfire.

Jian Ping’s father, Hou Kai, is falsely accused of treason—he is detained, beaten, and publicly shamed. Her mother Wenxiu, a top administrator of a middle school, is paraded in public and imprisoned by the Revolution Committee and the Red Guards—both driving forces of the Cultural Revolution. She is forbidden to see her children and pressured to divorce her husband. The family is pushed to a breaking point when they are forced to live in a mud house without heating, water, or a toilet. Facing abuse and deprivation, Jian Ping’s family stands steadfastly together, from her aging grandmother Nainai, a frail woman with bound feet, to her parents and siblings. The traumatic impact of their experiences shape the course of their lives forever.

Based on her own memories, as well as interviews and exhaustive research, Mulberry Child is a sprawling family saga and an inspiring tale of resilience and determination, a coming of age story told through the eyes of an innocent child.

Even though I had shared part of the writing process with Jian Ping and had thus read various excerpts as the book progressed, I was truly moved by this compelling story, written in such a delicate and graceful style.  I was also conscious about the timing of my reading this beautiful book.  A time for us to give thanks for the free democratic society in which I and my family have lived our lives.

Tags: Asia, Communist China, Cultural Revolution, Red Guard, Society and Culture

This entry was posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 7:12 pm and is filed under Ellis Goodman, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.