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50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
don't miss it; don't dismiss it., September 20, 2005
Riveting anecdotes from ordinary women in China who usually go unheard or supressed in the public forum and unnoticed in history. Their experiences are all the more shocking because they're not intended to be--the pain, waste, sadness and sacrifice in their lives underscore the turmoil of China's recent past and volatile present. For students of China, and anyone visiting or doing business with China, as well as for avid readers of all persuasions, READ THIS BOOK NOW, and keep a watchful eye on developments in China. I had frankly decided to read no more of the 'my-family-suffered-in-China-and-I-survived' books (of which there are so many excellent ones), but when I heard Xinran in a TV interview describe how she came to write this book, I became curious. When I started reading it, I couldn't put it down except to dry my tears. I would also recommend: Kristof and Wudunn's CHINA WAKES; Anchee Min's RED AZALEA; Adeline Yen Mah's FALLING LEAVES; Jung Chang's WILD SWANS; Mo Yan's RED SORGHUM; Dai Sijie's BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS; and anything by Ha Jin.
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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Modern" China, May 20, 2004
This startling collection of stories offers a remarkable insight into the lives of women in the country that threatens to become the most powerful in the world in the 21st century. Communism promised equality for all in China, but like all political systems it is no match for traditions and customs that have lasted for thousands of years. These stories painfully explore what happens when the modern and the traditional collide, crushing women in the middle. Living in a culture where revealing the most personal aspects of our lives on TV is a daily occurance, it is hard to envision how revolutionary Xinran's radio show "Words on the Night Breeze" was in China. For the first time, women had an anonymous way to tell their stories to the world, and what spilled out was heartbreaking. There were stories of true disaster, like the mothers who suffered through a devastating earthquake and watched their families swallowed up whole. But these things happen in every country. Much more disturbing to me were the stories of arranged marriages by party officials--in this nation of "comrades," a woman still has no choice but to stay with a husband who is lord and master, and treats her much as her female ancestors must have been treated long ago. Or the story of the young girl who is abused for years by her father--when her mother finds out about it she is told to put up with it to avoid angering him! Stories about the massive cruelties of the Cultural Revolution abound--I never cease being surprised and shocked at the pain this country visited on itself during the rule of Mao in the 1960's. Surely things are changing, one asks. But after reading about the university student I wasn't so sure. Women in university are the cream of the crop. But Xinran is shocked to learn that many choose what sounds like a new twist on an ancient tradition--they become "personal secretaries" to high powered businessmen, some foreigners, who need help navigating the Chinese system. They are totally cynical and businesslike, and view these relationships as a way to earn money and security. Woe to the woman who falls in love with her boss, however--she is cut off as cleanly as a concubine might have been abandoned in ancient times. This is a painful, sobering book. Progress and freedom are elusive concepts, and again and again after reading of other parts of the world, I realize how lucky Americans are that we got to "start fresh" a mere 200+ years ago. This is a wonderfully written book, well deserving of 5 stars.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbreaking stories very well told., October 6, 2004
What struck me the most with The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices is the unpretentious way the stories are presented. No where does Xinran leave me with the impression that she is 'milking' the stories for all they are worth in order to gather sympathy from the reader. Instead she leaves me with the impression that she is almost reluctant and embarrassed to tell the stories she presents. Stories that each have in common that they are equally heartbreaking. Speaking for myself I can only say that every one of those stories touched the fibbers of my heart.. Undoubtedly no one in the Western World is unaware of the suffering that comes with being a woman on most continents, yet it is a whole different story to be confronted with actual reports of the fate that befell a number of woman simply because they possessed a number of xx chromosomes; a reminder that to this day having a set of xy chromosomes makes you into an instant winner and a set of xx chromosomes into an instant victim on most continents. To me these stories made me realize how privileged men are in not only China but in most parts of the world, and as such made me realise the long way we have to go before women are treated as equals. It is because of the unpretentious presentation of the stories and the content of those stories, which I found to be without flaw, that I rate The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices with five stars. And warmly recommend it to those interested in hearing what being a woman in China can get you in some very unfortunate but not rare cases.
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