Ellen LaFleche, North Street Book Prize Judge
“Ying Qian's A China Story: Growing Up in Mao's Cultural Revolution is a page-turner that I could not put down. The flawless writing, coupled with the compelling story of oppression under Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution in China, kept me awake for several nights because I had to read one more page, and then another. The juxtaposition of the author's beautiful descriptions of Chinese flowers, trees, and landscapes with the horrors of mass murder and torture, mysterious disappearances, and neighbors turning in neighbors for slight or suspected offenses, makes this entry a tour de force.”
Mamta Madhavan, Readers’ Favorite
“A China Story is about an honest man's struggle to maintain his honesty, dignity, and integrity. It is also a poignant story of a woman's journey to find out the truth surrounding her father's death and how speaking out against a dictatorship cost him his life. … This is one of the finest memoirs I have read and the author is very honest while sharing her story.”
The BookLife Prize
“Qian’s memoir offers a highly effective framing device, which also allows the work to stand apart from other titles that unfold during the years of the Cultural Revolution. Qian’s story—of her family, her father, and her own journey from Beijing to the United States and back—is a unique and memorable one.”
San Francisco Book Review
“A woman takes us back through time in her riveting story about growing up in Mao’s Communist China. The after-effects and revelation of what really happened to her father are astounding. This story is powerful and worth reading. Honest and eye-opening.”
