This is a very interesting book! I didn't know much about Chinese history, but it fascinates me so I want to learn more. This book tells a story of a family going through all kinds of changes in the way they have to live. The writing style is not really engaging, it feels a bit like a history book of when I was little, but if you're interested in the topic you will find it entertaining. If the topic is not your thing, the book will not draw you in. The pictures and images are a wonderful addition and help make the story come to life more.

This book is an autobiographical look at three generations of one Chinese family and while this book is interesting it is not a compelling read.

Before Reading this book I never knew that China was once a capitalist state. which was eventually taken over by the communists in 1949. And, what tactics the CCP ( Communist Party of China ) used -

“Taking money and food from landowners was the CCP's financing approach. It began doing it in the base of Kiangsi Soviet in the early 1930s. The CCP would push land reform as soon as it controlled an area. CCP’s members carried guns to a village. They gathered a group of rogues and wanderers, promising them food. These thugs then knocked open doors and kidnapped landlords.
The CCP would tie landlords up and parade them in the village, wearing a tall hat. Written on the hat was “I exploited poor farmers, I am guilty.” After the parade, CCP members would shoot those landlords in the head, killing them. They then searched the landlords’ houses. Taking gold, silver, and jewelry, the CCP then opened the granary. They gave the thugs a small amount of food and took the rest.”

How did the CCP win the wars ? one example is this -

“In 1948 ,CCP adopted the “body swamp ” tactics. It drove surrendered soldiers from the ROC and Japanese troops and residents. In wave after wave, the CCP pushed them to the front line of the battle. Dead bodies piled up like mountains on the front line. The ROC troops did not have the heart to continue fighting. Later, the CCP used the same tactics in Korea against American soldiers. To force the residents to the battle”

The book talks a lot about Shanghai. Shanghai was City where people from various countries could freely come and do business before the 1940s.

I also found that Shanghai accommodated around 25K JEWs who were persecuted in Europe. and, from Shanghai they moved to Palestine, US and other safe places.

I was aghast when I read that Japanese forces used poisonous gas extensively in the battle of Wuhan in 1938. I never saw this being discussed or read in the mainstream media. Maybe because the CCP committed so many atrocities that it dwarfed the Japanese atrocities.

The writing style of the book is more like fact narration. If you can ignore the grammatical errors this is a good read and gives ample understanding of Chinese history of the last 100 years. I liked it.

This was a very tough read for me, which is disappointing because I was looking forward to understanding the ideas the book is focused on. The author only touched on her background, without really explaining the nuances of her past, which I think is central to understanding the themes/ideas. Perhaps a reader who is familiar with the locations and history the author mentions, would have an easier time understanding and it might not be the book, maybe it's just me!

While the story is certainly compelling, this book was not thoroughly edited. There is little variation in sentence length or structure and the transitions are choppy; while there is a rough chronological structure to the books, individual chapters contain tangents that are not too well integrated. There is clearly an interesting family history here, but it gets lost due to a lack of editing.