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Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the Cultural Revolution (Melanie Kroupa Books) Review
Most people cannot remember when their childhood ended. I, on the other hand, have a crystal-clear memory of that moment. It happened at night in the summer of 1966, when my elementary school headmaster hanged himself. In 1966 Moying, a student at a prestigious language school in Beijing, seems destined for a promising future. Everything changes when student Red Guards begin to orchestrate brutal assaults, violent public humiliations, and forced confessions. After watching her teachers and headmasters beaten in public, Moying flees school for the safety of home, only to witness her beloved grandmother denounced, her home ransacked, her father’s precious books flung onto the back of a truck, and Baba himself taken away. From labor camp, Baba entrusts a friend to deliver a reading list of banned books to Moying so that she can continue to learn. Now, with so much of her life at risk, she finds sanctuary in the world of imagination and learning. This inspiring memoir follows Moying Li from age twelve to twenty-two, illuminating a complex, dark time in China’s history as it tells the compelling story of one girl’s difficult but determined coming-of-age during the Cultural Revolution. User Submitted Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the Cultural Revolution (Melanie Kroupa Books) ReviewsJuly 31, 2008 A remarkable part of China's history, from a teen's point of view Most people cannot remember when their childhood ended. I, on the other hand, have a crystal-clear memory of that moment. It happened one night, in the summer of 1966 when my elementary school headmaster hanged himself. I was twelve years old." Moying Li's headmaster is the first casualty of the Cultural Revolution in her memoir, SNOW FALLING IN SPRING. Written with clarity and eloquence, Li's story is about the difficulty of being separated from the people and places she loves. It is also about the solace she finds in banned books and forbidden education during those years of darkness. SNOW FALLING IN SPRING begins with a brief overview of the events leading up to the Cultural Revolution. After a struggle to repel Japanese invaders, China was divided by civil war. The fighting finally ended with the founding of The People's Republic of China. Some of Li's earliest memories involve melting down household goods for the Great Leap Forward, which was a plan for China to catch up and compete with the industrialized world. It was not a success. The failure of industrial and agricultural policies led to widespread famine. Her father's struggle to understand what happened introduces one of the overarching themes of the book: the redemptive power of education. "'Ignorance,'" her father tells her as he stays up late reading each night, "'that's our enemy. In the future we need to educate ourselves.'" Li is sent to a special school for learning foreign languages. But her education is repeatedly interrupted by the political turmoil, including the Chinese Cultural Revolution, "a political movement initiated by Mao Zedong.... characterized by political zealotry, purges of intellectuals, and social and economic chaos." Li's teachers are denounced by zealous students who dress in army uniforms and swear their loyalty to Chairman Mao, the architect of the cultural purge. One of the central features of the Cultural Revolution was "reeducation," in which people were sent to labor camps to help purify the pollution of Western influences and a bourgeois (privileged, middle-class) lifestyle. Li's father, previously a writer of film scripts, spent most of the Cultural Revolution in a labor camp cleaning out pig stys. Like many teenagers during this time period, Li's cousin is also a candidate for reeducation. She is sent to live in a mountain village in Mongolia, subsistence farming with peasants. During this time it became dangerous to criticize the government. The offense that leads to Li's father's imprisonment is a stray comment made while having difficulty cutting out a picture of Chairman Mao. "'It's like cutting meat with a dull knife,'" he jokes. But any comment or opinion can easily be taken out of context to denounce co-workers and neighbors. SNOW FALLING IN SPRING is filled with scenes of people being denounced for equally minor offenses. Schoolmates turn on each other, friends become enemies, and people are forced to denounce their own family members in the hopes of protecting themselves. The relationships that remain sustaining in this environment of suspicion become all the more poignant. Li's Lao Lao (grandmother) is a foundation of strength and generosity throughout the book. Li also has a remarkable number of dedicated teachers, many of whom form the membership for her secret reading club. Li's father sends her a reading list from labor camp with instructions on where to find the banned books on the list. "'Even though school is not teaching you much, and all our books were taken away,'" her father writes, "'I want you to try to educate yourselves.'" It is through this reading list that Li finds a renewed sense of hope. Her engagement with books and her commitment to educating herself, in an environment in which both of those activities are dangerous, is the most moving aspect of the memoir. She speaks to reading not just as an escape, but as a place of survival, solace and possibility. It is a profoundly positive, creative approach to reading, an activity that is often regarded as passive. SNOW FALLING IN SPRING also has the advantage of being a memoir, which means it provides the immediacy of first-person experience but also a human face to historical events. This makes it easier to separate the horrors and excesses of a totalitarian regime from the people living under it. As the author says herself at the end of the book, as she leaves China to come study in the United States, "China was the land that had given me birth, love, and friendship. It was also the place of my darkest nightmares. People would judge it in different ways. Some would appraise it kindly; others would be harsh. To me, however, China was simply home --- breath and life of my childhood and of my youth." --- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood July 27, 2008 Highly recommend! "Snow Falling in Spring" is a very smooth and pleasant read from the beginning to the end, despite of the dark period that the story was set in. I have read several books about the Cultural Revolution in China, and Li's book is one of my favorite because it is really a story about ourselves, a story when everyone in the book was trying to define and redefine themselves during the most chaotic and tragic period of time. Li not only told the story about struggling and suffering, but also told the story of hope, of how to keep hope alive in a seemingly hopeless time. I really enjoyed the book and would like to recommend to readers of all age. July 26, 2008 A book for the entire family "Snow Falling in Spring" is a wonderful book, telling stories about a difficult period of Chinese history and making the reader feel a part of that experience. The story from a child's point of view opens up the reader's experience and allows the reader to step into the child's shoes and feel and see the author's experiences. This is a book about human experience. "Snow Falling in Spring" is definitely a book to be shared with the whole family. I gave this book to my parents and my son who loved it. They all insisted that I give this book to my nieces and nephews as well. I recommend this book as something that the whole family, can read and talk about. July 25, 2008 A balanced perspective Moying Li's memoir serves as a balance to traditional Chinese literature. The women in her story are strong, self-directed, and anything but subservient! Moying's grandmother was especially inspirational. July 25, 2008 inspirational A beautiful,inspiring story. This wonderfully written book tells of a young girl's growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Li's spare but powerful prose paints a portrait of a turbulent period in modern China. She also reveals the power of and indomitable human spirit. Li's recall is truly remarkable and she has the ability to bring her characters to life for the reader. A special find - don't miss this one. July 24, 2008 A Must In Li's outstanding book "Snow Falling in Spring" the true ettiquite and character from this author comes out in it's pages. If you're looking for some history without the negative drawbacks of dates, confusing times, and dull facts this is the book for you. This is an easy book to read yet is full of information and knowledge. Combining an authors point of view in a life's story, and history, this book is a real find. Many thank-you's to Moying Li for this pleasurable experience for the reader within me. I reccomend it to all. Two Thumbs Up! July 24, 2008 A Measured View onto A World Few Know Reading Li's heart-wrenching and eye-opening account of growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China would be equally instructive and enjoyable for youth and adults alike -- there is much to learn from both her trials and her triumphs. The fluid telling of her story in a language that she fought so hard to be allowed to learn reveals that freedoms should never be taken for granted. July 15, 2008 Ho-Hum This book would be good for someone who needs to learn about the Maoist years in a short time. Other than that it's quite disappointing. Li's story is very typical of Chinese of her age and her telling of it is rather flat and thin. Wild Swans by Jung Chang is much more compelling and detailed. In fact Li's story as told here, reads almost like a synopsis of Chang's life. April 23, 2008 Compelling A beautiful and powerful account of life during the Cultural Revolution and a must read for anyone who wants a greater understanding of China and her people. It is also a universal story about the strength of family, friendship, and hope in the face of tremendous adversity. Li's compassionate look at the people and experiences that shaped her life during one of China's most turbulent periods flows effortlessly, and will continue to touch you long after you've finished reading it. April 2, 2008 a gem A wonderful read. This marvelously crafted book tells of a young girl's growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The exquisitely gentle yet powerful prose conveys not only the pain and pathos of that turbulent period in modern China but also the characteristics which enable us to endure and overcome adversity. There are many special characters such as Ms. Li's grandmother Lao,Lao and the influential teacher Mr. Hu. Highly recommended! For more Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the Cultural Revolution (Melanie Kroupa Books) reviews click here.
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