The book is a powerful autobiographical account that traces the lives of three generations of women in 20th-century China.
Through the lives of her grandmother, mother, and herself, Chang presents a personal and vivid account of the country’s turbulent political history, from the fall of the Qing dynasty to the Cultural Revolution and the early stages of China’s modernisation.
The narrative begins with the story of Chang’s grandmother, who was born during the declining years of imperial China. A beautiful young woman, she was sold by her ambitious father to a warlord general as a concubine. After the general’s death, she faced the hardship of single motherhood and eventual remarriage, reflecting themes of resilience and survival that recur throughout the book.
Chang’s mother’s life marks the transition from feudal China to a nation under siege. Born as the Japanese invaded Manchuria, she grew up amid constant displacement. She joined the Communist Party with the hope and promise of overcoming the “barbarian old age customs”, supporting the “women’s liberation” and equality among people. She devoted her life to revolutionary ideals, marrying a fellow loyalist who would become a high-ranking official.
After suffering warlords’ prosecution, Japanese occupation, and the corrupt Kuomintang regime, the reader can witness the optimism that many Chinese felt for communism. However, their joyful idealism would later be tested by the harsh realities of Communist rules. And, of course, Chang’s mother soon became very disillusioned. However, once you joined the Communist Party, leaving was not really an option.
Jung Chang was born in 1952, and as a teenager, she became a fervent supporter of Mao, joining the Red Guards and participating in campaigns against “counterrevolutionaries,” which tragically included her parents. Propaganda and blind loyalty to ideology caused immense personal suffering and family fractures, and this became even worse during the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976.
Throughout Wild Swans, the reader is accompanied through major historical events: the Japanese invasion, the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communists, the founding of the People’s Republic, and the chaos and terror of the Cultural Revolution. Chung depicts the everyday struggles of Chinese people under communism, poverty, forced relocations, political purges, and the suppression of individual freedoms. Her storytelling is both accessible and rich in historical context, making complex events understandable to readers unfamiliar with Chinese history.
Published in 1991, the book is considered part of what is known as “scar literature”, a Chinese literary movement that recounts the trauma experienced by people during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. Although the book remains very popular and has been translated into multiple languages, it is banned in mainland China, as are many books that criticise and highlight the brutality and suffering of that period.
This is an absolute must-read for gaining historical insight into China’s geography, as well as its political and historical context. It is written with a clear narrative, giving voice to the lives of three extraordinary women.
If you want to know more about Jung Chang, here is her official website. And if you want to deepen your interest about China, Claudia has developed a collection of interesting books that you can find here.
Alessandra Giacchi
Photo by Zhu Hongzhi on Unsplash