It was a full house, sold out event, and a great evening hearing from and conversing with Jung Chang on her remarkable and impactful books, focusing on her books Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China, and on Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister, Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth Century China.
"Jung Chang’s book ‘Wild Swans’ is inspiring on so many levels. Chang writes with such depth and flow about three incredible women, her grandmother, her mother and herself, each of which has such a force in their own right. A family memoir taking us through historical eras of China - with the effects on women, the home, traditions, society, and politics. I couldn’t keep the book down.
Much courage must have been summoned from the author to write this impactful book, as well as from her mother who relayed her life story to Chang. With each line of ‘Wild Swans’, I was visualising the written word and was in awe with the strength that the women and Chang’s father found to keep going during difficult and heartbreaking moments. And across those times and pages, bravery, hope and principles shine through.
Books by Jung Chang plunge us into history and offer historical angles that we may not always have had access to, opening the door to knowledge, and also building a link towards understanding a person’s experience. Absorbing books and great reads that inspire us to also look at politics and history through a lens that bridges the personal and the political." (extract from https://www.soas.ac.uk/study/blog/how-soas-alumni-book-club-keeps-classroom-conversations-going)
Below some pictures of the evening!
Hope to see you all at the next SOAS Alumni Book Club!