Red China Blues

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Jan Wong, a Canadian of Chinese descent, arrived in China in 1972 as a devoted Maoist during the Cultural Revolution. As one of only two Westerners at Beijing University, her education included laboring at a factory, renouncing rock music, and even betraying a fellow student seeking asylum in the U.S. She married an American draft dodger from the Vietnam War seeking refuge in China. Wong's memoir recounts her tumultuous six-year relationship with Maoism, which unraveled as she confronted the brutal realities of Chinese communism. She provides a dramatic firsthand account of the Tiananmen Square uprising and offers an engaging portrayal of the individuals and events she reported on during the era of Deng Xiaoping's capitalist reforms. Through a candid and personal narrative, she shares the horrors that led to her disillusionment with the so-called "worker's paradise." The stories of various people—such as a young woman sold into marriage, a prominent dissident, and a doctor specializing in penile lengthening—unveil hidden aspects of China. Wong aims to enlighten Western readers about life in China and its significance, while reconciling with her past and the legacy of her ancestral homeland.