Gish Jen reconstructs her mother's traumatic childhood in pre-revolutionary Shanghai, and immigrant life in New York in an effort to understand - and forgive - her harshness.
6th November 2025
Hardcover
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
Gish Jen reconstructs her mother's traumatic childhood in pre-revolutionary Shanghai, and immigrant life in New York in an effort to understand - and forgive - her harshness.
Description
Growing up in 1920s Shanghai, Gish Jen's mother was told every day it was 'no good for a girl be too smart' -a silencing message she attempts to escape yet brings with her to New York. In this riveting portrayal of a Chinese woman desiring emancipation but also control, Gish Jen gives us a heartbreaking mother-daughter relationship, saved by writing.
Critic Reviews
An unsentimental, insightful, and brutally honest account of Chinese family relationships, in China and in the West -- Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans
About the Author
A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Gish Jen has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, and taught at Harvard, Brandeis and NYU Shanghai. Her work has been included in The Best American Short Stories five times.
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6th November 2025
