Mr. China's Son: A Villager's Life

by He Liyi, With *, Claire Anne Chik

He Liyi belongs to one of China’s minorities, the Bai, and he lives in a remote area of northwestern Yunnan Province. In 1979 his wife sold her fattest pig to buy him a shortwave radio. He spent every spare moment listening to the BBC and VOA in order to improve the English he had learned at college between 1950 and 1953. For “further practice,” he decided to write down his life story in English. Humorous and unfiltered by translation, his autobiography is direct and personal, full of richly descriptive images and phrases from his native Bai language.At the time of He Liyi’s graduation, English was being vilified as the language of the imperialists, so the job he was assigned had nothing to do with his education. In 1958 he was labeled a rightist and sent to a “reeducation-through-labor farm.” Spirited away by truck on the eve of his marriage, Mr. He spent years in the labor camp, where he schemed to garner favor from the authorities, who nevertheless shamed him publicly and told him that all his problems “belong to contradictions between the people and the enemy.” After his release in 1962, the talented Mr. He had no choice but to return to his native village as a peasant. His stratagems for survival, which included stealing “nightsoil” from public toilets and extracting peach-pit oil from thousands of peaches, personify the peasant’s universal struggle to endure those difficult years.He Liyi’s autobiography recounts nearly all the major events of China’s recent history, including the Japanese occupation, the Communist victory over the Nationalists in 1949, Mao’s disastrous Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, the experience of the labor camps, and changes brought about by China’s dramatic re-opening to the world since Deng Xiaoping came to power in 1978. No other book so poignantly reveals the travails of the common person and village life under China’s tempestuous Communist government, which He Liyi ironically refers to as “Mr. China.” Yet he describes his saga of poverty and hardship with humor and a surprising lack of bitterness. And rarely has there been such an intimate, frank view of how a Chinese man thinks and feels about personal relationships, revealed in dialogue and letters to his two wives.

Genres: China, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, History, World History

271 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing autobiography of an educated Chinese peasant whose life was severely impacted by each of the major policies instituted by Chairman Mao. I have read so many memoirs about that time period, but I think what makes this one so special is that it is not filtered through the lens of someone who has since moved to the U.S. and been influenced by Western thought. The glimpse you get into the life of a Bai minority peasant feels authentic. I especially enjoyed the richness of the language as Mr. He directly translated local colloquialisms into English. I wish I knew if the clever turns-of-phrase were typical of Bai speakers, or if he is putting his own words into the mouths of his family and other villagers.
This wasn't exactly a page-turner, and I don't think I'd recommend it as your first or only look into the time period, but well worth the read for those interested in the time period, China or anthropology.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book by a very inspiring man. Several years ago I contacted the author via email and told him how much I admired him and this book. He was just a kind, generous, pleasant man who took the time to respond in great detail to my email. This book is still among the best biographies I've ever read.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The autobiography of a Chinese villager who lived through the rise of communism in China. I got to meet him in Dali; he's an absolutely fascinating man.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fascinating story of the effects of the Chinese cultural revolution on an ordinary man. Well written.

[Karin Bodewits · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author in China. The book, a personal account about surviving under Mao Zedong, is fantastic.