Growing up in the United States, I grew up being told that communism is bad, but we didn't learn much about it in school. A memoir about Communist China from a woman's perspective is candidly excellent. In this memoir, Jung Chang chronicles the lives of herself, her mother, and her grandmother growing up in pre-Communist, revolutionary, and communist China. Blending broad historical facts with intensely personal commemorations, Jung Chang presents a vivid portrait of real life in China. She was extremely careful in fact-checking the historical events surrounding her family's various problems in Wild Swans. Wild Swans is the story of three generations of women in Jung Chang's family. Starting with the name of her grandmother Yu-Fang, who grew up in pre-communist China, a time when women had their feet bound as children and could be given to warlords as concubines. She lived in a time when there was no voice or freedom for a Chinese woman. The narrator's grandmother was forced to become a concubine to increase her father's power and position in society. But he was lucky enough to escape this “gilded cage” when his daughter (the narrator's mother) was two years old. After escaping this “gilded cage,” she was able to forge a new life a little more on her own terms. Perhaps the first quarter of Wild Swans was written honestly and gracefully. As I read the book, I could hear what I imagined was the sweet, peaceful voice of the narrator describing both the palatial Chinese mansion and the daily miserable existence as a concubine fascinated by and attached to the characters introduced. At one point, the focus of the novel gradually shifts to the narrator's mother, named De-Hong, who became a sen...... middle of paper... this memoir also distinctly demonstrates the human spirit beneath pressure. From Chang's father, who supported his ideals at all costs, to his grandmother who simply wanted everyone in her family to feel comfortable and happy, to his neighbors with their own agendas, Chang demonstrates how an oppressive regime brings out both the better than the worst of human beings. nature. This is a fascinating book both for its inside view of Communist China and for its female perspective on that regime. Likewise, it offers an intriguing commentary on human nature. It is also an intelligent and well-written account of a personal story. Whether you read it for class or to educate yourself, you are sure to be moved when you read the final pages. I recommend it to anyone interested in the history of China, as well as those interested in women's studies or the history of political science.