Socialism is Great!: A Worker's Memoir of the New China

(Paperback)

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A spirited memoir by a former Chinese factory worker who grew up in Nanjing, participated in the Tiananmen Square protest and ended up as an international journalist. As a teenager, Zhang worked in a factory producing missiles designed to reach North America, queuing every month to give evidence to the "period police" that she wasn't pregnant. In the oppressive routine of guarded compound and political meetings, Zhang's disillusionment with "The Glorious Cause" drove her to study English, which strengthened her intellectual independence - from bright, western style clothes to organizing the largest demonstration by Nanjing workers in support of Tiananmen Square Protest in 1989.

Reviews

"A truly original contribution to our understanding of modern China." --Jonathan D. Spence "Beautiful.... A remarkable memoir.... A notable historical document and a vivid, affecting portrait of a young woman's resolve." --"Kirkus Reviews" "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"