Some of Us: Chinese Women Growing Up in the Mao Era

by Xueping Zhong (Editor), Bai Di (editor), Wang Zheng (editor)

What does it mean to have grown up female in the Mao era? How can the remembered details of everyday life help shed light upon those turbulent times?

Some of Us is a collection of memoirs by nine Chinese women who grew up during the Mao era. All hail from urban backgrounds and all have obtained their Ph.D.s in the United States; thus, their memories are informed by intellectual training and insights that only distance can allow. Each of the chapters—arranged by the age of the author—is crafted by a writer who reflects back to that time in a more nuanced manner than has been possible for Western observers. The authors attend to gender in a way that male writers have barely noticed and reflect on their lives in the United States.

The issues explored here are as varied as these women’s The burgeoning rebellion of a young girl in northeast China. A girl’s struggles to obtain for herself the education her parents inspired her to attain. An exploration of gender and identity as experienced by two sisters.

Some of Us offers insight into a place and time when life was much more complex than Westerners have allowed. These eloquent writings shatter our stereotypes of persecution, repression, victims, and victimizers. Together, these multi-faceted memoirs offer the reader new perspectives as they daringly explore difficult—and fascinating—issues.

Genres: China, Feminism, History, Academic

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Brendan Brophy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nuance in this collection of brief memoirs is refreshing. Each vignette of a girl coming of age during the Cultural Revolution not only rebuffs traditional Western narratives surrounding this time, but also offers perspective on how children, young women in this case, affect and are in turn affected by the sociopolitical zeitgeist in which they mature. Some really poignant pieces in here that do away with a lot of American ignorance regarding this unique moment in time.

[Deborah Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this was a mixed experience. The topic was fascinating: first person account of the effects of the cultural revolution on women growing up during that time. The intersection of ideology and gender was a particular focus. The writing and editing strongly interfered with the message, though. It seemed to be an editorial choice to preserve the voices of the contributors, and their individual styles did shine through. Yet I found some of the essays to be really slow going due to meandering writing and nonstandard word usage. On balance I am glad to have read this, as it added depth to my understanding of the experiences of the Chinese during this period.

[Javo Pacheco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This makes one ask many questions about feminism in general. By the end of the novel, you wonder what gender equality even mean. The stories in this book are somehow fragments of a past so strange, so hysteric, that it’s almost magical. The life stories of these women growing up in the Mao era remind me of a fever dream. The experiences in the stories have a different sort of energy to them. Perhaps one day we will understand it.

[kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

yet another read for class. this booked was a very interesting read. i really enjoyed reading about the different women and their experiences in maoist and post china. my favorite aspect of the book was its focus on gender and what it meant to Chinese girls and women at this time. it even inspired me to do my final project on socialist feminism; this book will surprise you.

[Tony Huang · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting collection of memoirs about women growing up in mao and post-mao era, with a strong focus on gender inequality and female identity

[olie]

i've read this book at least three times for class so you bet your ass i'm counting it towards my goal

[Anusha · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative. nuanced and eye-opening!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was initially apprehensive that I wouldn't understand any of this book, knowing no history of China at all beyond the wikipedia page. I'm glad I read this first -- I'm currently reading Red Scarf Girl, and I like that I'm getting different perspectives on the Cultural Revolution.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting stories, somewhat repetitive themes by a group of privileged girls.