Honestly, I don't know much about Chinese history from this time period. I had only heard of the cultural revolution and I knew very little about details of people being shipped off to work camps.

This book was very eye-opening. I really connected with Ting-xing Ye, and reading this account of her life was heartbreaking. I can't imagine how it must have been for her to be ripped from the only family she had, so soon after the death of her mother, and plunged into a world she knew very little of; all the while being tormented and persecuted for a class title that was a stain on her life.

The book itself was written well. It was a fairly quick read and I enjoyed it very much. The only thing I felt was missing was more information at the end about what happened to her family, and where they all ended up after everything. ( )

This firsthand account of one young girl's experience of the Cultural Revolution is engrossing and simply but beautifully written. An excellent introduction to understanding an individual's experience of this time period. ( )

Most disasters bring people and communities together; the Cultural Revolution tore them apart. But this book shows that the struggle to survive and to keep relationships alive is always worth making. ( )

Another account of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, from the perspective of a student whose family was labeled bourgeois despite their poverty. Well written.

I wasn't able to put this book down. The events are well-depicted and at times, simply horrifying. While this was definitely written to a young adult audience, it is a book that anyone with an interest in history and the struggle to live in a hostile environment would enjoy. At times I thought the narration was choppy and the way in which time goes by somewhat vague, but it wasn't enough to lose my attention. ( )