The Good Women of China by Xinran — 5 years ago
Her story was fragmented. She did not expand on causes or consequences, and I got the strong impression that she was still unwilling to put her experiences fully on display. Her words only opened the box that she enclosed herself in, but did not lift the veil from her face. (Page 61)
As a radio journalist in communist China, Xinran struggled to bring to life real stories and the concerns of her women listeners, within the limitations of Party policy and guidelines. On her nightly call-in radio show, she told stories of love and loss, sexuality and family life, politics and war, rape and incest, wealth and poverty, uncompromising courage and unspeakable cruelty.
This book is important because it unveils the hidden stories of China’s Cultural Revolution. In Chinese culture, women have been historically silenced. Political upheaval in China throughout the 20th century has reinforced this silence. Through her radio show, Xinran was able to break through the view of secrecy surrounding the lives of Chinese women and broach topics that only years before might have been foribben.
Completely outside the stories, this book is a fascinating primer on the experience of ordinary people in China, and the daily struggles of a journalist operating within a communist society.
I found parts of this book unspeakably sad, yet there are moments of great hope in the lives of these women. The author weaves an elegant tapestry, combining the words of her listeners, interviews with women across China and her own story. The result is a fascinating journey that reveals these hiddens lives with depth, compassion and humour.
I found it difficult to put this book down and it was on my mind for days after I finished it. Each and every story – and some of them are remarkable and difficult to fathom – is absolutely true. This definitely gave me some food for thought.