Wild Swans – Three Daughters of China

Jung Chang

Being a student of science and mathematics, I always loved to play with numbers in the school and was hardly inclined towards subjects like history & civics. The interest developed at a very late stage. On reading the facebook post of one of my seniors, I read a one of a kind book “Wild Swans – Three Daughters of China” by Jung Chang.                              

If one would like to know the history of China for about last five to six decades, this book offers a glib ride through the social, political and cultural roads of China. It weaves a fantastic thread of three generations - grandmother, mother and the authoress through the historical events and places that happened during their lifetime in china. The philosophy of Cultural Revolution that took place in the period of 1966 to 1976 is presented with so much pathos. The book is quite intense and unsettling at times. 

Wild Swans was translated into 37 languages and sold 13 million copies. (Source: Wikipedia) Every chapter creates a ripple in the body.  It took me about a month time to read this book. After reading the book, I am now even more grateful to the uncanny power for where I am born and whatever I have got. We take things for granted and probably do not admire what we have. 

Some interesting takes / quotes from the book: 

Even Plain Cold Water Is Sweet.(It is the context, which is important.) 

I thought of my father's life, his wasted dedication and crushed dreams. He need not have died. Yet his death seemed so inevitable. There was no place for him in .... because he had tried to be an honest man. He had been betrayed by something to which he had given his whole life, and the betrayal had destroyed him. 

The new leadership was headed by ..... chosen successor, ....., whose only qualification, I believed, was his mediocrity. 

There was a well known saying: "When a man gets power, even his chickens and dogs rise to heaven." 

The lesson was harsh and clear: criticism of any kind was not going to be tolerated. From that point on people stopped complaining, or speaking up at all. 

As I left ...... farther and farther behind, I looked out of the window and saw a great universe beyond the plane's silver wing. I took one more glance over my past life, then turned to the future. I was eager to embrace the world.