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Basically, this is a story of a young girl growing up in Communist China, facing all of the downfalls of the political party, and ending up being criticized by everyone just because of her family's political background. Ji-Li, our protagonist, explains all that went on in great detail, having no problems with backing up her details with more and more details, giving you the feel of actually being there during the Cultural Revolution. I like my home thank you very much, I"d rather stay here than take a mind trip back to your culturally inept times, so please, Ji-Li, leave me alone. The novel carries on to explains how harsh Communism was during the Cultural Revolution, and how so many people believed in everything that Chairman Mao said, and would follow his actions to a point of mere exactness. If Chairman Mao jumped over a bridge, would all of his followers jump as well? A question such as this might have proved to create a more interesting read. Nonetheless, being in a rich family, Ji-Li and the rest of her relatives were constantly criticized because of their wealth, and the "poor political background" that comes with possession of such riches. Undoubtedly, the author explains the characters in the book very well (her family members, Chairman Mao, her friends, etc.) and allows the reader to become acquainted with their personality. Thank you Ji-Li, but I have my own friends to deal with. Granted Ji-Li's friends rat her out to the extremist followers of Mao, but my friends flirt with my boyfriend. I think we all know which one of us has it worse. The victim, I mean reader, pushes on to learn of violent ways of the Red Guards, the two-faced nature of the revolutionaries, and the hateful actions of Mao's super-Communistic government. .
By all means, I really do believe that I should feel more sympathetic towards Ji-Li in respect of the trials and tribulations that this young girl should not have had to face.
