[Zhang] offers a fascinating glimpse into what life and love is
really behind the bamboo curtain and--with her endurance, stoicism
and joy--leaves me wanting more! --Glyn Ford
A beautiful memoir. . . . Our current China literature is heavy
with victim memoirs, but this is a true tale of aspiration: a young
woman coming of age in a nation desperately trying to do the same.
--Peter Hessler, Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker and
author of River Town
A literary gem. . . . Zhang deftly crafts the journey of a whole
generation, desperately yearning to break away from the ropes of
tradition and living to dream the impossible. It's a book to
relish, a volume to cherish and mostly, a life to celebrate. --Da
Chen, author of Colors of the Mountain
A riveting tale. --Malia Politzer
A sharply observant and admirably crafted memoir. . . . A truly
original contribution to our understanding of modern China.
--Jonathan D. Spence
This affecting record of individual striving and fulfillment
reminds us, with humor and insight, how the growth of sensibility
in unfavorable circumstances remains one of our most pleasurable
literary experiences. Set against China's breathless recent
transformation, "Socialism Is Great!" offers a rare and intimate
glimpse of a country and culture that are now reshaping our world.
--Pankaj Mishra, author of An End to Suffering and The
Romantics
Zhang is a clear eyed storyteller..."Socialism Is Great!" is
peppered with a teenager's dark humor and bright recollections.
--Kate Silver
Zhang's memoir, with its arc of resistance and personal struggle .
. . written in fluent English peppered with dated Chinese idioms,
begins where those older memoirs leave off. . . . She seems to
suggest that in the 1980s, Chinese politics had evolved enough that
they could be a quixotic diversion for a restless and headstrong
girl. --Joseph Kahn
A riveting tale.--Malia Politzer
Beautiful.... A remarkable memoir.... A notable historical document
and a vivid, affecting portrait of a young woman's resolve.
This revealing memoir will have readers rooting for Zhang as she
fights her way out of an oppressive system.
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