"Wild Swans" Book Review

First published March 15, 2012 at http://www.hercircleezine.com/2012/03/15/wild-swans-by-jung-chang/

WILD SWANS: THREE DAUGHTERS OF CHINA (Anchor, 1991) is an epic true tale of three generations of Chinese women. The book takes the reader from a China ruled by warlords, through the Maoist regime and, to the early 1980s. We glimpse at the strength three generations of women exhibited in spite of foot-binding, arranged marriages, and the hardships brought about by Maoist rule and the cultural revolution. Jung Chang, the author, tells her grandmother’s story, her mother’s story and then her own.

At the start of the book, a biography of Chang’s grandmother and mother, we learn of a China before communism. The metaphorical curtain is pulled aside and we discover what life was really like for women who were concubines of powerful warlords. We see the maltreatment brought on by jealousy of wives of powerful officials, as well. Yu-fang, Chang’s grandmother, escapes her fate as a concubine by running away from the General’s home with her infant daughter in tow. Because the General was on his deathbed, and he freed her, his surviving spouse could not compel Yu-fang to return. Yu-fang eventually remarries. She suffers life-long from the foot-binding she endured as a child.

The next part of the saga is about Jung Chang’s mother, Bao Qin/De-hong, who became active in the Communist Party and supported Mao’s Red Army. De-hong wanted a new world in which to live, one where prosperity would be shared, and in which women would not be bound, either physically in the form of their feet or through being kept as concubines or acquired through arranged marriages. Her own parents sought to arrange a marriage for her, to a man in a powerful position in the old government. De-hong could not imagine such a life, and fought with her parents to refuse the arrangement. She fell in love with Wang Yu/Shou-yu, a fellow comrade. This marriage, while one of love, met with turmoil and suffering since De-hong’s potential pairing with a member of the old government is revealed, and the Communist Party separates her from her husband and daughter for some time.

We learn of Chang’s personal struggles and hear her story in the last section of the book. We see her suffer in her childhood when she is separated from her grandmother, who is looked down upon for keeping up the “old ways” of class privilege. We see as she suffers separation from her mother, and bear witness as her father is ostracized for upholding what he believes are the true principles of communist philosophy, despite the Maoist government’s denial of problems such as mass starvation.

In WILD SWANS, we glimpse a very personal account and personal history of a significant historical period, in a place we rarely gain such intimate access. Some of what Chang writes has that quality we describe as “stranger than fiction,” referring to circumstances in a true tale that are beyond our capacity to imagine other than as fabricated. The cruelty meted out upon the people of China throughout history is illuminated in a personal narrative. As I’ve written in other inContext articles, story provides a personal context so that we may know what we would otherwise be able to cast aside as “other.” WILD SWANS helps us learn about a culture and history of incredible importance. The story is also far from over, as we read about citizens still persecuted by the Chinese government.

When I saw a theatrical performance of WILD SWANS at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, what struck me even more forcefully than reading the book was the strength of the women in the story. Chang’s grandmother, Yu-fang, defied her family, her late husband, tradition and culture to save her daughter. De-hong, too, exhibited incredible tenacity in the face of continued adversity in her life. All of the women in this familial line endured as much if not more than the men, and yet did not have their spirits broken, even as the men in their lives demonstrated the extent of their emotional and mental suffering. Chang left her family and country to live abroad in freedom. While in theory we are familiar with and support those who seek political asylum or become refugees to escape drastic and deplorable conditions, we never really know the extent or story of the people behind the news stories. Chang helps us understand the personal aspects of such bold moves on behalf of individuals so that we come to appreciate the extent of dislocation one might feel if faced with such a choice. In telling this tale, both De-hong and Jung Chang exhibit yet greater strength as women and global citizens.