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A vivid portrayal of China from 1976-81:

"...Informative, disturbing, poignant and absorbing...personal encounters with individual Chinese that (were) almost unprecedented for any American journalist (at this time this book was written)." - NYT Book Review

Fascinating. I learned that I know less than I ever could have imagined.

I found this narrative history to be a good introduction to this amazing woman.
Cixi arguably laid the groundwork for modern China, she was a moderate reformer who made hard decisions but was not a harsh ruler. She accomplished a lot while working around centuries of tradition and laws that made it difficult for even the most talented women to lead.
3/5, read to learn about this amazing woman, & what the author thinks about Cixi

This was a sometimes difficult but also fascinating listen. It tells the story of three generations of women in China and provides a personal perspective to life through and after the Communist Revolution.

#audiobook #nonfiction #1001books #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #China #DeweysReadathon #DeweysOctober2023

Good morning! I‘m looking forward to listening to lots of audio and reading some print today as I participate in the 24 hour Dewey‘s readathon. I‘m starting my day by listening to Wild Swans while I have breakfast and read some early posts.

#DeweysReadathon #DeweysOctober2023 #Readathon #BookAndBreakfast #audiobook

Since I am reading Pearl S. Buck novels I am more open to Chines literature. I saw this one on one of my Litsy friend's profile so THANK YOU if you recognise yourself because it was amazing!

I‘m enjoying a wonderful fall weekend! Today I‘ve caught up on laundry, canned a batch of apple pie filling, took a 3 mile walk with Luthien, and cooked a pot of chili. For a good part of this afternoon, I‘ve also been listening to this fascinating memoir/biography of a Chinese family. It was my planned September #FoodAndLit book, but I‘m running a bit behind.

#1001books #audiobook #nonfiction #ReadingTheWorld #ReadTheWorld #China

This is the latest title for one of my book clubs. The story was interesting, but it also felt like a work of hero worship. I‘m curious to hear what the rest of my book club thinks.

Saw a documentary about Marco Polo today featuring the author Francis Wood and realized I got her book and have read it. 😎😎😎

I knew nothing about this beyond having heard of it. The lead-up to the main part of the story didn‘t catch my interest. The things that happened were incredibly awful, but the author also followed up with chapters on Westerners who tried to help with a “safe zone” in the middle of the city, then chapters on how the Chinese people fared after and how the Japanese tried to hide what had happened.

Must read for history enthusiasts.